The Devil’s Cage

Ferris held contempt for Bloodman from the bottom of his heart.

Since the short encounter last night, Ferris understood Bloodman was bluffing and didn’t have any real powers, he was just a paper tiger in front of common people.

Now, such a bluffing annoying bug stood in Ferris’ way again and more importantly…

“You dumb garbage, how dare you delay from of master’s matters?!”

Following his icy shout, Ferris’ emptied his hand of books and plunged it into Bloodman’s body.

The freezing spread right away and within a breath’s time, Bloodman was turned into a pile of ice.

“F-Freezer!”

Bloodman’s fearful stutters came from underneath the layer of ice before getting quieter, eventually going silent.

Bang!

Kak!

Ferris withdrew his hand from the ice pile, clenched it into a fist and smashed it on the frozen Bloodman, shattering him into pieces.

After shattering the annoying bug, Ferris shook the lingering ice of his hands and turned around to Emma Eddie.

Emma Eddie was stunned on the spot, dumbstruck by what just happened.

She originally intended to find a “protective umbrella” to deter wolves on her tail, who knew she would run into a fierce tiger!

What more frightening was, the fierce tiger before her eyes now wasn’t the strongest, he was still serving a master behind him!

“Who is that master? Death Knell? Mr. Ghost? Grudge Dragon? Or some monster even more terrifying?”

When the thought of those terrifying villains crossed her mind, even when Ferris didn’t show any malicious intent, her mind was frozen because of the potential danger.

Ferris took a glance at the stunned Emma Eddie and another glance further away. Without a second thought, Ferris grabbed the lady and headed towards his own hiding spot.

Around 20 seconds after Ferris left the scene, a few more figures appeared on the scene.

Each of them had a different reaction toward the pieces of ice and the frozen body underneath.

“The Freezer?”

“He is in this too?”

“Which means… the rumor is true!”

Some showed doubts, some showed shock but many more of them shifted from partially believing the rumor to taking it as a matter of fact.

After exchanging gazes out of vigilance, the few figures returned to the shadows and used their respective ways to track down their “target”.

Regardless of what it was, it would set the somewhat peaceful Alkender City onto a bustling path.

Many more police cruisers appeared at the street entrance.

The sirens warned the citizens to be careful and at the same time warning some individuals to heighten their attention, but a lot more of the sirens were telling someone… the crazy party had begun!

Standing behind a window blocked by its curtain, Kieran lifted one side and saw the police cruisers dashing away; he nodded in satisfaction.

“Nicely done, Ferris,” Kieran said.

“Master, it’s my pleasure!” Ferris the Freezer bowed.

Even though Ferris didn’t know what the purpose of Kieran asking him to collect information about Mordin on a large scale was, it didn’t stop him from accepting the praise from Kieran.

Just like what he said, it was his pleasure.

However, the scene looked a little different in Emma Eddie’s eyes.

Before she arrived in the hideout, she had been guessing which outrageously powerful monster was behind the Freezer, her mind even started to picture some legendary or terrifying existence but what she saw was Kieran who had some contact with her yesterday.

Emma Eddie felt the scene to be inconceivable as if she was dreaming but the Freezer’s actions told her everything was very real.

Looking at Kieran who didn’t strike her as dangerous now, Emma Eddie once again doubted her instincts that she took pride in.

“Who are you? What do you want?” Emma Eddie asked out of instinct, her expressions were filled with visible vigilance.

Although Kieran wasn’t one of those legendary terrifying monsters, he was able to bring the Freezer under his control and it was enough for Emma Eddie to understand how she should play along with him.

It was the “wisdom” that she gained from the streets and also the instinctive reaction against the powerful.

“Me?”

“2567. I’m not doing anything special, just investigating a case.”

Kieran’s reply was partially true though, after that he sat back in the chair.

He was flipping through the books Ferris brought him and asking Emma Eddie, “Ferris said you have some special information regarding Mordin for me?”

Throughout the whole process, Kieran didn’t even look at Emma Eddie yet she felt a sense of pressure.

Not just her though, even… Bloodman!

He dissolved himself into a small blood ball and latched himself onto Emma Eddie’s boots.

Bloodman had taken severe injuries from the last battle with Ferris, hence he was just carefully observing Kieran but the more he observed, the more scared he was.

Bloodman’s sensitivity came from the blood he wielded, and with that, when he saw Kieran sitting in the chair, he felt like he was looking at the devil sitting on his throne.

Submit or die!

The growls were ringing in his ears, forcing him to cower.

At the same time, what terrified Bloodman, even more, were the wicked mumbles that echoed in his ears. Each time he heard the mumbles, his willpower would grow weaker.

“No! I can’t wait any longer!”

Despite being curious about what the special news regarding Mordin was, Bloodman valued his life even more.

When Kieran concentrated on listening to the special news from Emma Eddie, Bloodman silently moved away.

The door was getting closer. His liquid state body allowed him to leave without even opening the door but just as he was going through the door seam, a boot came from above him.

Special energy was rocking Bloodman’s body and it instantly reverted him to his human form.

“Spare me, I…”

“Look into my eyes!”

Bloodman just wanted to start begging but he was halted abruptly by Kieran’s shout and almost subconsciously, Bloodman looked into Kieran’s eyes.

That was the end.

[Mesly Ring] was shining the moment both of their gazes were locked.

Bloodman who was severely injured struggled to crawl up and instead crawled back down on the floor, submitting himself to the man before him.

“Take care of him.” Kieran waved to Ferris.

A living Bloodman was more useful than a dead one.

Similar to the Freezer, in this extraordinary being-filled dungeon world, Kieran didn’t mind gathering more subordinates to work for him, given that it wouldn’t compromise his rewards.

After all, extraordinary beings like Bloodman were far from the normal standards of rewards that Kieran had in mind.

Ferris helped Bloodman up and headed towards the room next door; Kieran sat back down in the chair, looking at Emma Eddie who was getting more terrified by his calm looks.

“You know, what you said just now, I can find it all in here. I want something very exclusive,” Kieran said calmly.

Yet the calmer he was, the more afraid Emma Eddie felt. She knew how scary it would be once Kieran got mad.

“Damn it! All I want was to handle the pinch back there! Why the hell would I have special information about Mordin…”

“Eh? Hold on a moment!”

Emma Eddie suddenly thought of something.