Chapter 232 - Dealing With One's Enemies
She then asked another question that had been in the back of her mind for a while, "And what's the advantage in dealing with our enemies in such a roundabout manner? Is it only because we aren't strong enough?"
Damien nodded slowly, "Well, that's the gist of it. But if we take Roy or Dennisa down directly, then their fathers would come for us, and let's assume we take them down as well, then their ancestors might come...who knows. It will all just become a never-ending cycle at that point and a headache for us. This is more fun to see them run around like fools not knowing who or what hit them." Damien said with a shifty smile.
Valentina felt that his words made sense as she was used to only dealing with things with only her fist. She thought that his ways were indeed more fun than simply beating down someone directly.
She understood that in this world, if one hurts someone openly, then they should be prepared to face retaliation from the family of the person they hurt. And depending upon how powerful that family is, it can turn out to be quite a headache.
Unless one was too powerful to the point that they need not worry about any consequences, it was okay to finish one's enemies in the open even if they got an influential backing.
She was also curious what method Damien exactly used to do all this while sitting in the pub with her. However, she didn't ask again since she knew he would have told her if it was safe for her to know.
"Now, let's go train. We only got two weeks left for our fights, and they will at least be in a state to fight us and would be very pissed off at us. Go and practice in the training arena. I will be in the meditation room." Damien instructed as he remembered that Luna had something to teach him.
"Mn." Valentina nodded and suddenly pulled Damien towards her by his cloak for a quick kiss.
Damien was a bit surprised as he lowered down and reciprocated her short, loving kiss.
After ending the kiss, she scurried off in a jovial manner while Damien shook his head with a smile.
He proceeded towards the meditation room, which was actually located underground, and there was a huge stone in the middle on which Damien jumped and sat atop it in a cross-legged position.
Even though he had promised to give the healing pills to the patriarchs by tomorrow, he didn't need to concoct them now as he had already concocted them. However, only he knew what those pills would really do and whether it would really cure them or drop them even deeper into hell.
Some might think he was going overboard, but only he knew what would have happened had he forgiven them.
Had he decided to let them off, they wouldn't stop till they get what they want and would use any underhanded means to get it.
But no matter how confident Damien was, he didn't want to take risks whenever he could, especially when it involved his loved ones like Valentina. The last thing he wanted was something bad happening to Valentina.
He had gone through enough experiences to learn that people like Roy or Dennisa should be nipped in the bud and not let them become a thorn in his life.
In his previous life, before Sophie's death, he had spared some people and granted them mercy just because he thought he was going overboard and being heartless. But later, they were some of the people who were involved in the death of Sophie and his unborn child.
After that, he spared none and hunted them all down as if they were sewer rats. He gave them the cruelest and slow death possible that they wouldn't wish to have a new life in fear of him coming for them again.
There wasn't a single person who didn't tremble and piss themselves whenever they heard his name, and no matter how many armored squads and superhuman units they sent after him, they all returned dead with not even complete corpses.
In Damien's perspective, giving second chances to someone was overrated and a sure shot way to sign one's own doom.
Only when Nathasia came into his life did his raging heart cooled down a bit. He first came upon her being a prisoner in some facility and helped him kill the guards in the facility who were trying to attack him from behind. That was why he didn't kill her on the spot.
He was on a killing spree, blinded with rage and hatred, and killed anyone coming into his path.
Even if they sent youngsters barely aging fifteen to stop him, he would mow them down with his sword without any hesitation as his moral compass had already gone haywire.
Nathasia would follow him anywhere he goes and even helped him with even the most basic of chores, because of which he found it hard to get rid of her. He at first decided to let her follow him just because he found it convenient in a way but didn't trust her at all and always kept a watchful eye on her.
The last thing he wanted was another betrayal, and not a single move of hers went unnoticed by him. She knew that he was spying on her all the time without even giving her much privacy, but she didn't mind it even when he said that she could leave if she doesn't want to be monitored.
She seemed to understand why he was like that and even told him it was okay to spy on her even when she was bathing as a sign of trust.
Over time, he did slowly get used to her, and at one point, he would feel some emptiness if he didn't see her for a while, who always used to wait for him till he returns from any errands he had to run.
Before slowly trusting her, he would always make her come with him for missions and see for himself if she would betray him or not and make her do the most dangerous jobs on her own, telling her that she should be useful if she wants to stick with him.
However, she didn't complain and did everything skillfully and instead offered that she could do more if he doesn't mind. It was as if she badly wanted to help him as it seemed as if she had some vendetta against some of the ruling authorities.
Damien later found out that her parents were killed just because they didn't reveal the whereabouts of Damien. Apparently, even Damien didn't know that at one point, Nathasia's family was indebted to him as they were one of the families he had saved in the past.
And then he remembered that he had indeed seen Nathasia before when he used to live alone with Sofie.
He remembered a girl who would meekly peek at him from afar in the forests while he was cutting wood.
He also remembered befriending her family and saving them from some local goons who wanted to extort them.
His memories became fuzzy after losing Sophie and indulging himself in killings.
He wondered if he let Nathasia tag along with him just because he found her familiar. But later, somehow, the authorities tracked him down, and he had to watch her die with a smile right before him.
He regretted not spending more time with her and for treating her harshly at first. But it was too late for all that, and he wondered if there would be a time he won't lose the ones he cares about anymore.
And now that he got a second chance at life, he was absolutely determined to make sure that nothing happens to Lily or Valentina, no matter what all methods he had to use to protect them.
Even if he had to become the enemy of the whole world to protect them, he would do it. And power was just a tool for him to fulfill his wishes.
The main reason he pursued more power was not for himself but to safeguard his lovers.. He knew he wouldn't be truly relieved till he reaches the peak, no matter how far away or infinite that seems.