A few minutes ago, back in the Camp...
*CRASH!*
Vincent's fist annihilated the expensive mahogany table like it was made of soggy cardboard.
Splinters detonated everywhere, embedding into maps, silks, and priceless crap like tiny wooden bullets.
His bloodshot eyes twitched at the floating orb as it replayed Rebecca's death for the 3rd time in slow motion… in every agonizing frame.
It's like watching some sort of twisted highlight reel.
The beautiful head of his 7th wife separating from those perfect shoulders.
"THAT FUCKING BITCH!"
Vincent's scream could've woken the dead in a hundred miles radius.
His supposedly perfect businessman mask was completely destroyed… what stood here now was the raw, deranged psychopath underneath that fake smile.
The orb kept looping, Aurelia's golden eyes gleaming like a guillotine blade as she flicked Rebecca's blood away like it was nothing.
Not even a hint of remorse.
Just pure efficiency and nonchalance.
Like Rebecca was an annoying cockroach that dared to crawl to her too close.
"She killed Rebecca... She actually fucking killed her!"
His precious Rebecca, one of his seven perfect brides, reduced to a headless corpse… in just less than 10 minutes?
"Rebecca was level 19! She had A-tier earth manipulation! She was supposed to capture that silver-haired whore, not get butchered like livestock!"
Another punch slammed down to the poor remains of the table.
*CRACK!*
The ruined table folded in on itself, collapsing into pathetic firewood.
Vincent was going nuts at this point.
"And Marcus... that muscle-brained idiot died pathetically to that scrawny piece of shit!"
The orb had shown that particular fight too. Marcus, his strongest physical pawn, got his eyes gouged out and then executed like a pathetic meat in a Friday sale butcher shop.
What's worse?
It's completely done by Nero fucking Walker.
It's hilariously pathetic.
"How is this possible?! Marcus is the strongest guy I've encountered! He also had the Metalloid Transformation! He should've crushed that loser like a fucking grape juice!"
All his brilliant schemes, his perfect dominoes lined up for the grand finale… They were all destroyed by a silver-haired murder blender and some scrawny guy with "main character" written all over his forehead.
His remaining six brides stood in various positions around the destroyed command tent.
"Master Vincent, please let me show that angel the weight of her sins."
Frila Winters stepped forward, her platinum blonde hair falling in perfect waves as floating sharp crystals began forming intricate patterns in the air around her trembling hands.
"I'll make her suffer with the rage she's ignited in all of us, Master."
Carmen Dremily's red hair whipped around as her eyes began glowing with an eerie with a mysterious light that seemed to peer directly into souls.
"Let me turn her own shadow against her."
Nell Gayle's quiet voice carried deadly promise as the shadows around her feet began moving independently, reaching toward the other brides' shadows like they were greeting old friends.
"I can bind our life forces together so we fight as one, Master."
Dia Fwist's gentle features were twisted with uncharacteristic rage as thin, barely visible threads of light began connecting her to the other brides.
"I'll make the very air betray her movements."
Isabell Curtley's curly black hair framed features that belonged in paintings, but invisible distortions around her hands were making the space itself seem to bend and warp.
"... Her bones better remember every life she's taken."
Zara Dell's bone-pale fingers traced symbols in the air, and for just a moment, ghostly skeletal hands seemed to flicker around her wrists before vanishing.
All six of them shared those familiar heart-shaped pupils glowing faintly pink.
All six of them were bound to Vincent through his hypnotic influence.
They were the strongest and most beautiful "six wives" of Vincent out of all the big harem that he formed.
And all six of these wives were absolutely fucking livid about their sister's death.
"Vex'ahlia."
Vincent's voice was dangerously quiet now.
"How did Marcus lose? You gave him an A-tier unique ability.He was supposed to be unstoppable… Didn't you say that?"
"... Hmm? Oh, that."
Vex'ahlia's response was bored as fuck, as if she's watching a documentary if anything…
She was lounging in a chair, looking completely unbothered by Vincent's mental breakdown.
"You should know that not everything is about tiers, stats, and levels, Vincent… as a man of logic yourself, shouldn't you already know that by now?"
She gestured dismissively toward the orb.
"Besides… that boy used every dirty trick in the book to make that big guy fall… Misdirection, psychological warfare, exploiting obvious weaknesses."
Vincent was vibrating, looking like a boiling kettle about to explode.
"The boy's copying ability is likely limited though. Probably a one-time use, considering he didn't activate it immediately."
Vex'ahlia added thoughtfully, studying Nero's image in the orb.
'Such a waste to kill someone with that kind of tactical potential. He would make an excellent addition to my collection.'
But she kept those thoughts to herself.
Vincent wasn't listening. His bloodshot eyes were still fixed on the orb, pure obsession burning in those eyes.
"She killed Rebecca... my beautiful Rebecca."
Just as Vincent was livid about the death of one of his harem members, Vex'ahlia suddenly spoke out of topic,
"... Vincent, do you know what my staff is made of?"
"Human bones. You've mentioned it before."
With a forced sigh, Vincent pulled himself together, straightening his suit as he replied.
"Not just any human bones."
Vex'ahlia stood up from her soft chair, running her fingers along the eerie staff's surface with something approaching reverence.
"These are the bones of mystical creatures from different races… Each one possesses extraordinary power."
The atmosphere in the room turned heavy significantly.
Vex'ahlia held up the staff, and the skulls began to sing.
A haunting melody that sounded like screaming winds mixed with celestial choirs.
"One of the things that I need is a Pure Essence… a divine power that can only be found from a real angel…"
The staff was now glowing so brightly it hurt to look at directly.
"And out of all the material that I have… it's the only essence that I lacked."
She turned toward Vincent with eyes that held the kind of madness that came from touching powers beyond mortal comprehension.
"And that same Pure Essence… I can feel the extraordinary pureness from that Aurelia… it's the keystone that would complete and surpass the staff's true power… You still remember our deal, right?"
Vincent nodded eagerly at her words, understanding the part of the deal that they made on the first day they met.
"Yes. When we capture Aurelia, you can use her power to complete your ascension."
'The fool actually believes we're partners. How delightfully naive.'
In Vex'ahlia's mind, different thoughts were swirling while she maintained her composed exterior.
'He thinks he's trading Aurelia's capture for power, not realizing he's simply delivering the final ingredient for my own transformation.'
She had been searching for this exact ingredient for decades. The divine beings of the Celestial Cradle were notoriously difficult to find, let alone capture alive.
Vex'ahlia doesn't know why such an exceptional angel was here serving a lowly human, but those are insignificant details in her opinion.
As long as she can get her hands on that angel, she would soon ascend her 'Nelfier Bone Staff' from an SR-tier to an SSR, allowing her to fully unlock her power and be dominant within the other circles of the Obsidian Covenant.
'When the 'Nelfier Bone Staff' is complete, I can replace these puppets anymore. Various curse manipulation, True Arknive enhancement, original curse creations… I will become stronger than ever than those arrogant bastards from the other circles…'
Vincent would serve his purpose perfectly.
"Exactly."
Vex'ahlia's agreement sounded sincere, but the snake is hiding her true thoughts behind those "direct" words.
"But first, we need to tire them out. That angel is formidable when fresh. But even divine warriors have limits."
She then gestured toward the orb, which now showed Nero and Aurelia helping Jin through the maze exit.
"They've both been through significant battles. Their stamina is depleted, their mana reserves are low."
"And they're about to face something that will push them beyond their breaking point."
Vincent's old cliché villainous smile was returning.
"The Verdant Tyrant."
"Exactly. That beautiful inscription I placed on Marcus wasn't just for the transformation ability."
She made casual gestures, and ominous engraving appeared in the air before dissolving.
"Upon his death, his life essence would be automatically transferred to our plant friend. A little boost to wake it up and make it... cooperative."
The orb shifted to show a massive form moving through the forest.
The trees were snapping like toothpicks as something the size of a building pushed through them.
*RAAWRRRR!!!*
Even through the orb's audio dampening, the Verdant Tyrant's roar was fucking terrifying.
"The beast is now under partial influence. Not complete control, mind you, but enough to guide its aggression toward specific targets."
"And the best part? It's heading straight in that small base."
Vincent's expression shifted from rage back to his old business-like confidence with even a hint of relief from too much stress.
"They'll have to choose between saving their friends and facing the Tyrant in their exhausted state."
"... Or abandon everything and just run."
The six wives were listening to this exchange with excitement on their faces.
Vincent's smile was absolutely predatory now.
Knowing the scrawny bastard and Aurelia, it's impossible for them to leave the small base alone, especially with the knowledge that the parents of those trio of friends are still there.
With that as an assurance, Vincent was back in control again, back to being the calculating bastard who orchestrated this entire clusterfuck.
"Since they exhausted themselves. It won't be long before they collapse from either the overwhelming power of the Tyrant or their depleting mana and stamina."
He straightened his tie like this business was finally done.
"Then with that, we will finally harvest the fruits of our labor."
"How about that angel…? Aren't you mad about her? Are you going to kill her?"
Carmen's voice was eager, emotional flames flickering in her eyes as she sensed the volatile mix of rage and desire radiating from Vincent.
"No. She's mine."
Vincent's obsession was still blazing in his eyes.
That almost tangible obsession with Aurelia was burning brighter than the hanging LED sun itself even with Rebecca's death.
… It seems that the loss of Rebecca just only intensified his possession to possess something so perfect and untouchable.
"When this is over, Aurelia will understand her place. She'll learn to appreciate what a real man can offer."
His breathing was disgustingly perverted just thinking about it.
"That perfect face, those divine wings, that untouchable aura... I'm going to break every bit of her arrogance."
"After what she did to Rebecca, she needs to be punished thoroughly."
"I'll make her beg for forgiveness. Make her understand that killing my bride was the biggest mistake of her life."
"Master..."
Isabell's voice was breathless with anticipation as reality seemed to shimmer slightly around her fingers.
"What about the boy? What about Nero?"
"That Nero Walker dies."
The words came out like a death sentence.
"Slowly… Painfully… and Aurelia will watch every second of it."
Vincent's grin was getting more twisted and creepy by the moment.
"I want her to understand the consequences of defying me. I want her to see what happens to people who stand between me and what I want."
The room filled with approving murmurs from his brides.
They were all nodding in agreement, their minds were completely devoted to their master's will.
"..."
Meanwhile, Vex'ahlia watched Vincent's passionate declaration with internal amusement, maintaining her composed exterior with silence.
"What a perfect counter."
Vex'ahlia's voice carried approval that Vincent interpreted as partnership.
"Your passion will serve us well in the coming hunt."
She gestured toward the orb, which showed the approaching Verdant Tyrant in all its terrifying glory.
Massive vines thick as subway cars.
A body the size of a small building.
And eyes that burned with artificial rage.
"Now then, shall we prepare for the final act?"
The six brides straightened into formation, their various abilities beginning to manifest around them.
Crystalline frost patterns that seemed to hold memories, emotional flames that burned with others' feelings, shadows that moved with malicious independence, life-binding threads of light, spatial distortions that bent reality, and bone-pale hands that traced necromantic symbols.
It's a perfectly balanced team of hypnotized harem killers ready to tear apart anyone who stood between them and their target.
'It won't be long.'
Vincent muttered to himself.
Soon, the most beautiful angel in existence would be his.
Vincent stood among them with a blissful expression, basking in his role as the mastermind…
"..."
Completely unaware that he was just another piece on someone else's board.
Vex'ahlia's internal satisfaction was absolute.
There were shadows beginning to encroach around the entire group.
The scheme runs deep.
But it would seem,
"..."
The "piece" in the board has his cunning eyes glinting with mysteriousness.
Turns out Vincent has something more to offer than what meets the eye.
***
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