The sound of blood dripping to the ground forced everyone's eyes onto the mangled back before them. The girls cupped their mouths, paling. Even the guys felt their stomachs churn at the gory sight on stage.
"Sith, what have you done!?" Several Wardens immediately restrained Warden Sith. His eyes, which were once fogged by rage, were now swirling with bewilderment.
"What are you guys doing?? He's just a puny Slave–..."
SLAP!
"Shut up, you fool!" A Warden in the 5th Plane, Juggernaut, retracted his large hand from Sith's face. "Are you blind or actually just stupid!? Either way, a hopeless case like you should've realized that strength like his shouldn't be naturally achievable without any cultivation!"
"...Huh…?" Now that Sith thought about it with a certain amount of lucidity, there should've been no need for him to exert power beyond that of a mortal. So then why was it that he felt the Venation Plane to be insufficient to deal any real damage to Nylon?
"Hold on…" Disbelief streaked across his long-shaped face.
"Have you finally realized it, you idiot?? That slave boy is a Body Cultivator!"
Warden Sith's expression dropped. He understood the implications behind what he did. And unless it was properly resolved, even the Masters were unlikely to speak up on his behalf and save his life.
'There's no way that boy will speak up for my sake… The Master supporting him will definitely seek revenge against me for what I've done… Wait…' Warden Sith paused in his thoughts, his cruel smile returning. 'If the boy really does have a backer, then why is he still working as a slave in the Mines? That is unless…'
Nylon was abandoned.
'There must've been a passing Alchemist Master who took a bit of interest in Nylon, but upon figuring out how little talent he had, he was promptly left behind!' Warden Sith could see it all as if it actually happened. 'Yes, that must be it! And so long as I dispose of Nylon without leaving any evidence just to be sure, that Master who once supported him will no longer be an issue!'
A plan was being formulated inside Warden Sith's mind.
After figuring it all out, he refocused on Nylon. Then, with a spine-chillingly friendly smile, he approached the bloody young man and… apologized.
"I hope you'll forgive me for my unprofessional behavior. You see, I get cranky easily, and sometimes, I just can't seem to control myself," he said kindly. "But since I've wronged you nonetheless, you deserve compensation. What say I grant you access to one of the private cabins in the center sector along with us Wardens?"
"!?" "!?" "!?"
Compensation!?
A personal residence in the center sector!?
Was this actually the sadistic bastard of a Warden that they all knew and loathed!?
Even the other Wardens were slightly taken aback by Warden Sith's attitude on this matter. But then again, perhaps he had finally come to his senses and was now trying to rectify his mistakes for the sake of continued survival.
However, none of what he was doing would mean anything if Nylon was unwilling to forgive him.
Surprisingly, though, Nylon was indifferent to both the stinging pain and Warden Sith's appeasement. Rather, he angled his head off to the left, asking emotionlessly, "That was only the 16th whipping. What about the other four?"
Silence…
Warden Sith's face froze. His brows twitched as he, along with everyone else, wondered if this crazy brat really had a death wish.
Adding to their astonishment, Nylon returned his head to its original forward positioning. "You may resume the whippings."
Was this kid… serious…?
What a lunatic!
Warden Sith looked to the other Wardens for assistance. A female Warden stepped forward, whispering into Sith's ear, "Just go easy on the last four and give him what he wants."
Warden Sith nodded before readying his whip. But at the same time, he hesitated, for he knew for certain that even if he hit very lightly, the pain would still be mind-boggling when the boy's back was torn up as so.
'Whatever, I'll just go for it!' Warden Sith thought as he swung out. 'He's the one asking for it, after all!'
FWACK! x4
After the 20th whipping, Warden Sith put away his bloodied whip. Looking at Nylon's back, he felt a twinge of satisfaction over his masterpiece. However, he didn't let it show on his face.
The pain Nylon was experiencing right now was beyond what any normal person could withstand. Even so, he made not a sound as he walked off the stage and picked up his pickaxe. After which, he sauntered off in the direction of the Mines, planning to finish his shift for the day.
Not everyone liked Nylon and his apathetic nature, but none could deny the fact that he was a young man of pure iron will. They had trouble merely staring at his gory back, yet he not only endured the torturous pain, he also wasted no time in getting back to slaving away in the hot Mines.
"What a man…" Warden Anna murmured, with almost every other person nodding in agreement.
"So does this mean he agreed to my proposal or not…?" Warden Sith never received a proper response, leaving him dumbly standing around in confusion. "Well, whatever, I'll make the arrangements anyway. I'm still a Warden, so he has to obey."
Warden Sith didn't take the potential Alchemist Master subject very seriously, and would continue on with not much change to his routine. Some of the other Wardens had their doubts as well, but were not willing to risk it like Sith.
The whipping of Nylon ordeal came to an abrupt end. The spectators all dispersed, returning to their respective works. Only a select few, like Warden Anna and Warden Sith, kept Nylon close in thought.