บท 18: To Know Malevolence
'Ah… I made a mistake.'
Elish's realization that he had failed to control his strength came a little too late to him. He hadn't intended to kill every single person in the room.
After all, he had a desire for knowledge about the weapons the guards were using.
'Well, it's not too late if I hurry…' He proceeded to leap, and then landed on the floor where most of the guards lay either dead or dying, their life slipping away due to severe injuries and blood loss.
"[Hex #75]," Elish uttered, facing one of the guards who was moments away from drawing his final breath.
"[Revival]."
The wounded soldier, intestines exposed and futilely trying to push them back into his abdomen, began to glow.
His wounds miraculously closed, and he looked as good as new.
The soldier was taken aback by the sudden transformation, but Elish didn't give him a chance to react or process what had just occurred.
'Here we go…' He swiftly seized the soldier's head and used his 'Memory Drain' ability.
All of this happened within the blink of an eye, and all the information Elish desired began to rush into him as the poor man wriggled.
The soldier's eyes rolled back, his face grew pale, and Elish extracted the remnants of the soldier's life's knowledge without mercy.
After the transfer was complete, Elish dropped him to the floor, his body twitching from the aftereffects.
"He's as good as a vegetable now," Elish remarked, turning away and leaving the scene.
[Memory Drain] allowed Elish to swiftly extract information from a target and store it within himself. However, even though the original memories still remained with their owner, the rapid transfer speed overwhelmed a normal mind, leaving it permanently scarred and rendered incapable of any useful thought or movement.
Still, that didn't matter much to Elish. The ability's utility made it all the more worth using.
From the soldier's memories, Elish learned a great deal about the weapons the guards were wielding, known as 'Guns.'
The mechanisms behind these firearms intrigued Elish, and he couldn't help but be impressed by the technological advancements the humans had made in his absence.
'It's just one surprising revelation after another.' He mused.
Elish also gained insights into the owner of the house and other valuable information.
The mansion belonged to a prominent noble with ties to the royal family, although the specific details were unimportant. Elish also obtained a detailed layout of the mansion and its rooms, including the owner's private chambers, which he decided to head towards.
"This should be fun," He whispered with a smile.
********
En route to the master's chambers, Elish encountered more futile resistance, none of which posed a real challenge. The initial barrier had been the only notable obstacle thus far, and even that had left him disappointed.
"Let's hope there's a more impressive struggle ahead," Elish mused.
Unfortunately for him, his expectations weren't met.
After a lackluster journey through the mansion, Elish finally reached the master's bedroom.
Initially, he had anticipated that the owner might have escaped through a secret tunnel or hidden room, but it appeared that was not the case.
He even sensed multiple presences behind the door that stood before him.
"Seems he has more backbone than I thought," Elish remarked, preparing himself for a confrontation.
It appeared that the lord of the house had organized his guards to mount a final defense against him, with himself leading the charge. It was a foolish decision, but Elish couldn't deny that the nobleman had guts, contrary to his initial impression of most royals and nobles.
'Well… let's see what they have prepared, shall we?' Elish opened the door, fully ready for the showdown that awaited him.
However, not even he could have expected the next thing he witnessed.
"Ang! Haa… ang!"
"Hehehehe. Why don't you do it right, do it better!"
The voice of a woman moaning, and then the lord of the chamber laughing in ecstasy were the first things to greet his senses as the doors opened.
"What…?" Elish was left dumbfounded by what he had just encountered in the bedchamber.
Within this place, instead of an army or defenders prepared for battle, Elish found an orgy in full swing.
The nobleman reclined on his bed, surrounded by several ladies who were intimately engaging in sexual activities with him.
Other women danced provocatively around the room, entertaining their host.
The atmosphere was one of merriment, filled with food, sex, and revelry—a far cry from what Elish had anticipated.
"What in the...?" Elish couldn't help but mutter in shock.
All eyes suddenly turned toward him, and he realized he had made an unintentional intrusion.
"W-Who are you? How dare you interrupt me!" The lord of the house shouted in anger, his face turning tomato red as he glared at Elish.
Saliva gushed out of his mouth, and his chubby features seemed to swell even more as he openly displayed his annoyance.
The women, many of whom were either naked or half-dressed, quickly hid themselves and covered their exposed bodies with whatever they could find.
They appeared ashamed of the situation, and in a sense, they had every reason to be.
While Elish had seen a naked woman before, this was his first experience with so many in one room, especially within a setting that was undeniably sensual.
"Answer me! How dare you interrupt your Lord's night?! You will suffer severely for your disturbance! Guards! Guards! Seize this man at once!" the portly nobleman yelled.
But there was no response.
Not from Elish, nor from the supposed guards that the obese Noble called for.
'Ahh…' Elish felt a twinge of pity for the lord.
Clearly, the situation was getting to him, but it was equally bewildering for Elish.
He had expected to experience more action and futile resistance, so being exposed to this instead was downright disappointing.
No, it was worse.
Everything about this scenario sickened him.
Furthermore, the nobleman seemed oblivious to the ongoing chaos outside. Unable to endure the situation any longer, Elish finally spoke up.
"They won't answer you."
"W-wha...?!" The lord responded in shock, clearly unaccustomed to such insubordination.
"Didn't you have any idea what was happening outside? Weren't your guards supposed to warn you? Could you not hear the noise and commotion?" Elish asked, growing irritated by the man's incompetence.
"Hey! Watch your tone, young man!" the nobleman retorted, fuming from his nose as he spoke.
The fool left his bed and rose to his feet, his small eyes narrowing on Elish as his fat cheeks and stomach danced with every step he took.
Elish observed that the lord was utterly clueless about the situation, a fact made evident by his lack of concern and the way he was handling the confrontation.
Even the courtesans in his bedchamber displayed more intelligence, as they had already begun to exhibit signs of nervousness and fear.
This man, on the other hand, seemed to lack any awareness of danger.
'That won't do…'
"You! What is the meaning of this? What have you done?" the rotund lord demanded, approaching Elish with only a towel covering his nakedness.
Elish glared at the approaching nobleman.
"Don't take another step closer," Elish warned in a commanding tone, exerting a measure of pressure that filled the room with a chilling aura.
Everyone present could sense that Elish was not to be trifled with.
"Hey, you! Are you daft? Answer me before I change my mind and have you executed!" the lord yelled, continuing to advance.
'Hm…' Elish's suspicions were confirmed in that very moment.
This man before him had never encountered real danger or malevolence in his life. He must have lived a very comfortable life, sheltered from any harshness or suffering.
That wouldn't do at all.
'I suppose it's up to me to teach him the true meaning of it—to make him understand the consequences of disregarding my warnings.'
Elish snapped his fingers, and instantly, all the women in the room began to swell up.
"... Eh?" The nobleman noticed this and his jaws reclined like an imbecile.
In a split second, every single woman exploded, their blood and flesh splattering across the room—on the walls, ceiling, floor, and even the lord himself.
"W-W-What?!" The nobleman's eyes widened as he beheld the gruesome scene.
What appeared to be a mix of disgust and instant fright assailed the man as soon as all the blood and gore painted the expanse he stood in.
"Urghhhhh, Arghhhhh, Eeeek!!!!" he screamed at the top of his lungs.
"You're too loud!" Elish declared.
He raised his hands, indicating that he could easily inflict the same fate on the nobleman as he had on the women.
For the first time, pure fear filled the lord's eyes. He fell to his knees, trembling with terror and dread.
His instincts screamed at him, and sweat poured down his naked body.
As he gazed up at Elish, he finally comprehended it for the first time in all of his existence.
… The true nature of malevolence.
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[A/N]
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