Chapter 50: A Step Into The Spiral
As Alex stepped closer to Moss, he began contemplating the two choices he had.
The first choice was to intimidate Moss and force him to provide the necessary information, and the second was to use the [Mark of Subservience], which would compel him to answer, regardless of his wishes.
However, the latter was rather immoral and against his own ideals of freedom. But he too didn’t have much time, he needed to finish this quickly so he could have the three groups help him find the Seed of Darkness.
[Quest: Dark Curse — Find the Seed of Darkness that has cursed the civilians of Nyxare.]
[Reward: Darkness Affinity Gem (A), +10,000 Experience, +10,000 Evo Points.]
[Time Limit: 10 Days.]
[Failure: Quest – Heretics Vs Devotee.]
Let’s try talking first, he crouched before Moss who was sweating buckets just from feeling his presence.
Alex tapped at the back of his neck and channeled some of his mana.
The instant Alex’s mana broke the seal placed on his head and neck, Moss turned his gaze toward Alex and screamed in utter terror.
"AHHHHH! Please don’t kill me! Please!"
Alex, Kael, and Mia watched him with deadpan expressions and a sigh escaped Alex.
He asked, "Just answer all of my questions and I’ll let you go."
Hearing that, Moss finally looked at the demon who had come to bargain with him and the moment he did, his eyes widened in surprise.
"You... you are Alex Blade?" He asked with disbelief.
Hmm? Alex tilted his head and mumbled, "Do I know you?"
Moss’s lips stretched into a grin and he growled, "Don’t think so. You didn’t have time to look at the people around you after all."
Alex frowned. "What are you talking about...?"
Moss’s expression turned eerie as he responded, "Do I have to spell it out for you? I am Moss, a student at the Solace Academy. Although from a grade higher than a lowborn."
Alex’s expression darkened causing Kael and Mia to exchange troubled looks.
Though keeping his calm, he smiled and said, "It’s all in the past. Let’s focus on the present."
Moss’s eyes shone with cruelty and he muttered, "Hoh? It seems you still haven’t grown a spine."
His eyes shifted toward Kael and Mia who were standing there with confused expressions.
"Haha," he laughed. "See that is the man you have trusted. He doesn’t even have the balls to do anything to me even though I was the one who had revealed his disability to everyone."
Alex, who had been silent for the past few seconds, let out a deep sigh and mumbled under his breath, "I didn’t want it to go this way."
"Huh?" Moss’s face turned furious. "What did you say lowborn? And why haven’t you freed me already? Do you want me to help you remember your days at the academy?"
Alex spared him a glance and the moment their eyes met, tremors spread through Moss’s body.
"W-Wait! I didn’t mean to ang—"
However, before he could finish his words, Alex took out Velcrean from his inventory and placed it around Moss’s neck.
"Eek!" Color drained from Moss’s face and Kael called out with a terrified expression, "Sir Alex!"
Alex raised a hand and glanced at Kael.
As Kael peered into his cold, ruthless eyes his body screamed to run but he kept his legs fixed onto the ground and said, "Alex. Capturing alone was enough to anger Antonio but if you kill him we would have to fight an all-out war. Do you think you can shoulder the responsibility for that?"
Alex didn’t answer instead, he stared at Moss and asked a strange question, "Do you accept defeat?"
All three of them – Moss, Kael, and Mia – looked at him with dumbfounded expressions and he repeated while moving his sword closer to Moss’s neck, "Do you accept defeat, Moss?"
Baffled by what he was doing, Moss thought, I’ll just agree to his bullshit and once they free me, I’ll tell everything to Boss.
"Y-Yes! I accept defeat," he muttered desperately while laughing inwardly.
What a fool. He thought. No wonder you were made to stay beneath us.
Alex smiled, stored Velcrean in his inventory and once again crouched beside him.
"Thanks for your cooperation," he mumbled and placed his hand on Moss’s head.
What is he talking about? Moss’s expression turned confused. A bad premonition rose within his heart but it was too late.
Alex glared at him and whispered, "From this moment forth, you shall act as my servant."
Following his words, a golden screen appeared before the two of them.
[Mark of Subservience: Host Alex, you have marked Moss (F) as your servant!]
[System: Player Moss, you have been marked as a servant by Host Alex (Anomaly), henceforth you are to follow all of their commands."
"W-What?!" Moss shouted at the top of his lungs and screamed in a horrified tone, "What did you do to me, you monster?"
Curious, Kael stepped forward and asked, "What is he talking about Sir Alex?"
Alex turned his head toward Kael and said, "You are a smart man, Sir Kael. So you should be aware of what you can tell others and what you can’t."
Kael fell silent for a while and nodded.
He turned around and grabbed Mia by the wrist. "Hmm? What are we two doing here?"
Mia looked at Kael in disbelief and mumbled, "Sir Kael?"
"Ah. Mia, do you know why we are here?" Kael asked softly though his eyes were devoid of any warmth.
Mia shook her head and said, "I don’t."
Moss watched the two leave with a terrified face and Alex whispered into his ear, "Let’s settle the score."
He freed Moss from the seals and asked, "Where is Antonio?"
Although Moss instinctively felt compelled to answer him, he forced his lips to stay shut.
Seeing this, Alex chuckled and said,
"It seems you still haven’t grasped your situation, Moss."
Moss rose to his feet and swung a fist toward him and the moment he even thought about it.
A shuddering scream tore through the room, sending Moss face-first to the ground while thrashing around with a petrifying pained expression.
