"Yeah, well, you can say that. Want to see another 'black magic' trick? Watch this."
Esdras pointed at one of the five apprentices tied to chairs and the entire thing started floating in the air bizarrely, the he used Flamethrower to burn the apprentice midair.
The apprentice started screaming and howling like a pig, or something even worse. Sam watched in horror as someone burned alive in front of him.
"But, but you saved me… you need me!" Sam tried to cling to this hope, it was the only way he could see for survival.
Sigh.
"Yeah, I saved you. Did you think I wanted to do that? It's because you did something unnecessary."
Esdras last words were meant for Tara who was standing respectfully behind his own chair.
"I only wanted to show you my loyalty, my lord." Tara quickly knelt down.
"I know, I know." Esdras rolled his eyes but in fact he was pleased, "you did something on your own but the results were good so get up."
Esdras patted Tara on the head and smiled at her which validated Tara immediately, this was one of the few good responses she got from Esdras ever.
"Hey!" Sam yelled in anger, "let her go, you bastard! It's me you want, let her go. Your black magic will eventually get exposed and you'll get what's coming for you, you evil snake!"
'Hmm, what? Ooh, I see.'
"Hehe, let her go? Just like that? I don't think so." Esdras said with a wicked grin.
"Imbecile! What do you want with her?" Sam finally understood, it was Esdras's black magic that took control of Tara, she wouldn't betray him on her own, of course!
He didn't know anything about black magic, he just knew that it could do anything, so taking control of another person was possible.
"I do whatever I want with her, what do you think? She cleans after me, takes care of me and of course… warms my bed." Esdras whispered the last part if it was a big secret.
"You!!" Sam tried to lash out, although he was exhausted and his anger was burnt out quickly as well. "Even with your black magic Tara will never submit to you. Never!"
"Is that true!" Esdras suddenly glared at the still-kneeling Tara who quivered immediately and hugged his leg.
"No, don't listen to him, I am your loyal slave!"
Sam felt like someone punched him in the guts, to think that he has that much control over her.
"I don't know, seem like Sam thinks you're up to no good. And who the fuck said you're my slave?! You're just a plaything, you dumb bitch."
Esdras kicked Tara off his leg causing her to tumble away a little bit, after she stabilized herself she glared at Sam hatefully and then quickly crawled back to Esdras.
'The black magic must be very strong…' Sam thought with difficulty.
"My lord, I didn't mean it like that. Sam, that ugly toad is responsible for this. I am your thing to do with as you please."
"Okay, prove it to him." Esdras said with an evil smirk, "kiss my boots."
"What?!" Sam blurted in shock.
Tara brushed her hair to the side and bent down, it wasn't that hard since she was on the floor anyway. Tara kissed the boot with an audible noise.
Sam's heart was broken, he couldn't believe the sight in front of him. Tara, a woman he thought of as a goddess to be catered to all day long was actually reduced to such a state!
Esdras's eyes gleamed with joy, when he decided to confront Sam after he woke up he thought that Sam couldn't provide anymore negative energy but he was wrong!
He couldn't have imagined that this buffoon actually had feelings for Tara! The more he humiliated her the more the energy surged until finally he could hear a cracking noise in his ears.
Behind him, he could feel his shadow elongate and expand like a living thing. He could feel an immense energy from an infinite distance away from him reach out and connect with him.
In front of him an ancient-looking lantern took shape, it shook slightly and began to fill up with a colorless liquid of unknown origin, then a candle was formed at the center of the lantern and was lit up with a green ghostly flame.
No one else could see this lantern but him, and it symbolized reaching the 1st threshold of the negative energy technique. With this one of his objectives had finally come true.
A new sense of power filled his body and mind, it was like when he became a True mage. The feeling of growing more powerful was addictive and it fueled his greed and satisfaction at the same time.
All of his abilities have improved to a suitable level he felt much better. Now then to the last thing he had to get done today…
But, Esdras noticed that Tara was still kissing his boot and she was doing it very creepily too, and moaning while doing it.
"Okay, t-that's enough, Tara."
Tara looked up at him and he knew she was in heat and he chuckled. This bitch wasn't giving him any negative energy anymore, she was almost completely broken.
"Did you miss me that much?" Esdras stroked her face and she tried to avoid eye contact. "Come on, lift up your robe, let me see."
Tara did as she was told obediently, Esdras saw her drenched thighs and stroked her pussy through her sexy underwear.
"You followed my orders right?"
"Yes…"
"Good, you've been a good girl, now go wait outside. I will reward you later."
"O-okay…"
Tara went out of the cave and Esdras closed the entrance with a rock so that his conversation with Sam will not be overheard. He still didn't trust Tara yet, she needed more time im training before he asked her what he wanted to know.
"Alright, Sam, let is get this over with. I want to know why Robert wants me dead so badly?"
"I am… not sure. He said that we will profit a lot from killing you."
Esdras sighed, "how so? Am I rich without knowing it? You know lies will do you no good."
"And what will do me any good? You're going to kill me anyway, why should I answer any of your questions?!"
"Lower your voice." Esdras said coldly, "yes, I will kill you, as we both know very well. You won't walk out of here. But… there's a difference from one death to another. Do you want to have an easy and timely death or a long and torturous one? I have all day, trust me."
Sam was still hesitating, it was a hard situation to be in, but, he was someone who gave up on life anyway, it wasn't hard to push him.
"Are you still clinging to Robert even though it's his fault you're in this situation?" Esdras said slowly as he walked around Sam.
"H-his fault?" Sam asked back.
"Obviously, if he didn't try to kill me, would you still be in this situation? If you weren't associated with him would you have to die right now? I am targeting you because of that! Did you see me attacking random apprentices?"
Sam's eyes shook. Esdras wasn't even lying, this was the truth and it was very effective.
"What has he ever done to you, except boss you around like a common slave? If you cover for him, he might get to live and enjoy life! While you get killed here, not even for a mistake you made on your own but something that you were caught up in!"
"Do you want him to get away with it?" Esdras suddenly grabbed Sam and looked him in the eye, he was convinced.
"Tell me everything, and I swear I will make sure he joins you in the underworld as soon as possible. You know me right? I will make sure he suffered for what he's done to you."
In just a few minutes Esdras threw all of the responsibility at Robert and maneuvered himself to the same side as Sam.
"He can't keep getting away with it. Right?"
"HE. CANT. KEEP. GETTING. AWAY. WITH. IT!!!" Sam roared.
"Yes, yes he can't."
"But, but… you have to promise you'll leave my family out of this." Sam said something which surprised Esdras.
"You're family? Good. I promise I won't touch them for this matter."
"Y-you're not lying are you?"
"Do I look like that kind of person? In the first place do I need to lie to the likes of you?" Esdras said with a sincere smile.
"T-that's true. Alright, listen. It's just something that I investigated, Robert wasn't saying much but I looked into it and my family is from Marincia. It's something about loans."
'Marincia? One of the scattered kingdoms left in the wake of the Golden empire. It had trade wil Kazzat and the Coast baronies thanks to their port. It was a wealthy city kingdom.
"Loans?" Esdras blurted in confusion. He did not expect to hear this word here and now. "What does my death have to do with any of that?"
"I don't know everything, I said so. Just that many Kazzat houses have been buying slaves, arms and hiring mercenaries through our city. Houses that shouldn't have the money for that kind of thing. So, when I heard about it, turns out they were getting huge loans from a Consortium in Kazzat. Why or how? I don't know anything else."
So, they want me dead to secure a loan? Esdras grimaced, this situation was much more complicated than he first thought.
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