บท 54: Chapter 054: Your Conditions Aren't as Good as His
The Arab man used a camel to carry John Wick and walked all the way to a gathering point in the desert.
Upon arriving at their destination, he simply let John Wick fall off the camel. At this point, John was completely unconscious, and even falling off the camel failed to wake him.
The Arab man dragged John Wick into the largest pavilion in the gathering area and waited.
…
On the other side of the desert, Parker, who had been running at high speed, suddenly spoke up, "Charles, John's scent has stopped moving again."
Charles Doyle, who was driving the SUV, knew that John had reached the location of the Elder.
Seeing the slow progress of the car in the desert, Charles slammed on the brakes, bringing the vehicle to a stop. He then said, "Get out of the car; we'll make a dash for it. Driving in the desert is too slow."
He didn't want John Wick to lose a finger due to their slow arrival. After all, John was now under his command.
Upon hearing Charles's orders, Iruka, Sasuke, and Rock Lee had no objections. They simply opened the car doors and jumped out.
Ginny, however, was a bit puzzled. She looked at Charles with a questioning expression, wondering why they were abandoning the car. After all, a car was faster than human speed.
Seeing Ginny's confusion, Charles instructed, "Parker, lead the way, full speed ahead."
In the blink of an eye, Parker's figure appeared far ahead. In just a few seconds, he had covered a significant distance, moving much faster than the SUV.
Iruka, Sasuke, and Rock Lee followed closely behind Parker, never falling behind.
Seeing this, Ginny gained a new understanding of ninja abilities.
Observing Ginny still standing there dazed, Charles bent slightly and said, "Climb onto my back; you're too slow. I'll carry you while running."
Ginny didn't hesitate and jumped onto Charles's back, wrapping her legs tightly around his waist and her arms around his neck.
Feeling the softness on his back, Charles said gently, "Hold on tight; I'm going to accelerate."
Without waiting for Ginny's response, Charles sprinted at full speed, catching up to the three ahead of them with a few leaps.
Ginny watched the rapidly receding scenery and tightened her thighs. She was afraid that if she let go, she would fall off Charles's back.
Seeing that Charles had caught up, Parker said, "We're still quite a distance away; I'm going to speed up. Can all of you keep up?"
Charles glanced at the three of them and then said, "Maintain your strength and chakra, and keep up the pace. We'll engage in combat as soon as we arrive."
"Yes!" x3
With their confirmation, Parker accelerated once again.
…
John lay on a carpet, the sunlight shining on his face, and he slowly began to wake up.
"Drink up!"
Hearing the voice by his ear, John Wick immediately looked towards his gun, which was on his waist.
"Don't worry; your weapons are still with you. Have some water."
Hearing these words, John Wick gradually regained his senses and looked towards the source of the voice.
Sitting in front of him was a man with dark skin, dressed in an Arabian style, yet exuding an air of grandeur.
John slowly sat up and picked up the water glass in front of him, about to take a sip.
The man in front of him spoke again, "Kid, why have you become so lost?"
John faced the man and said, "I'm not lost; I'm looking for you."
"You think I'm giving you directions to your location?" The man's tone was cryptic.
John didn't answer immediately but slowly drank the water from the glass. He was incredibly thirsty.
"I have never seen anyone fight so hard to escape the world of killing, only to voluntarily return to square one," the Elder said as he rose and approached John Wick. He squatted down and looked at John, asking, "Why do you want to stay alive?"
Hearing this familiar question, John Wick didn't hesitate with his response, but in his heart, he was thinking, "Charles, I've met the Elder now. Where are you guys? Can you make it in time?"
"For my wife, Helen."
"To remember her, to remember us."
Upon hearing John's reply, the Elder asked again, "So, do you want to live for the sake of the memories of love?"
John's voice was low as he answered, "At least I want one chance to fight for it."
The Elder gazed at the man before him, seeking life, and said, "I can give you one last chance to earn your life."
"However, what you earn may not be the life you envisioned."
"You will be allowed to continue living, but you cannot break free from the control of the High Table; you will be bound by it."
"Use your remaining days to do what you excel at."
Hearing the conditions presented by the Elder, John Wick remained composed on the surface but was secretly thinking, "I've already completed my mission, which is to meet you."
"The excommunicado will be revoked, the bounty will be canceled, not because of you but because of Charles. Most importantly, he won't need to be under the High Table's restraint; he just has to pledge loyalty to Charles. Elder, your terms aren't as favorable as Charles's."
The Elder obviously didn't know John's inner thoughts. He got up and returned to his chair, saying, "Of course, the choice is yours."
"Die here and now, or live at the cost of death, clinging to the past."
Hearing the Elder's question of whether he wanted to live now or die, John Wick slowly stood up. He glanced around but couldn't find any trace of Charles and the others.
He could only face the Elder and asked, "What do you want me to do?"
At this moment, the Elder's voice turned stern as he said, "You must use your life to exchange for another's death, the first target being Winston."
John was puzzled, "What?"
The Elder explained, "He has forgotten his oath of loyalty. The public bounty and excommunication won't be lifted until you complete the task."
"So, if you want to live and remember the past, this is the choice you must make."
John Wick slowly lowered his head. He hadn't expected that the Elder's condition would be to kill Winston, the man who had helped him escape.
Without Winston, he wouldn't have been able to leave the Continental Hotel, and he certainly wouldn't have had that precious extra hour to reach Charles's Agency.
Looking at the serious expression of the Elder, John had no choice but to pretend to agree. He knew that if he didn't agree now, he might not survive the next moment.
Kneeling down on one knee, John Wick slowly said, "I will serve the High Table, offering my life in service, my death in loyalty."
Upon hearing John's response, the Elder smiled and said, "Very well, my child. Cast away your weakness and reaffirm your loyalty to the High Table."
At this point, the Elder's two subordinates carried a small table and placed it in front of John Wick. On the table were two items: a shovel and a wooden mallet.
John stared at the two items on the table, deep in thought.
The Elder slowly said, "Mr. John Wick, I would like to see it. Show it to me."
John, realizing that the Elder was asking him to cut off a finger as a sign of loyalty, wondered if Charles's wax bath could reattach fingers. He thought, "Charles, if you don't appear soon, your subordinate will become a disabled person."
As he looked around and saw no changes in the surroundings, John Wick pondered for a moment, then picked up the shovel from the table, about to make his choice.
Swish, swish, swish, swish.
Several throwing knives flew in, directly killing the guards standing around.
Seeing this sudden turn of events, John Wick heaved a sigh of relief. He picked up the shovel and hurled it with all his might at a guard in the courtyard who was about to draw his gun.
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