Chapter 230: Threatening And Blackmail
The only path left was a one-hit kill.
Anything less was pointless.
But the assassins had been trying that for a while now without success.
Liara glanced toward the half-destroyed upper floor of the guild building.
That man stood there, like he was watching a play unfold rather than a battle.
That damned farmer.
He didn’t even lift a weapon.
He just stood there, eyes sweeping the battlefield.
And yet, every time one of her assassins crept close enough to go for Alice’s throat, roots erupted from the ground to snare them in place.
He wasn’t even breaking a sweat.
"Dammit! Keep fighting!"
Alice smashed through shield walls, tore down defensive formations, and left craters wherever her hammer landed.
The flames spread, eating up more of the hall with each swing.
Above it all, the farmer kept watching.
Isaac’s expression didn’t change, but Liara could tell he was calculating every second.
He glanced up once, and for a moment, his eyes narrowed.
He noticed something.
Isaac tilted his head slightly, then called out in a calm but firm tone. "Alice. Wrap it up."
Alice didn’t hesitate.
She used the Voice of the Seraphim skill.
Dozens of awakeners froze.
The majority were stunned outright, and the few who resisted found themselves slowed so much it didn’t matter.
Alice leapt forward, golden flames exploding outward as she brought her hammer down.
The impact shook what was left of the guild hall.
Fire roared in every direction, and everyone caught in the blast was thrown back like broken dolls.
The light lingered for a moment, then faded.
Isaac was looking at the sky.
A figure fell from the night sky, crashing down into the center of the battlefield.
The ground split, and dust surged up in a choking cloud.
Liara raised her arm to shield her eyes.
When the haze cleared, Catherine stepped out of the crater.
Her clothes were cut and burned in several places.
Her body was marked with shallow wounds, but she was still standing.
She walked forward, then stopped in front of Isaac.
And then, in front of every surviving member of Titan Edge, she bowed.
"It’s done, my lord," Catherine said. Her voice carried through the ruined battlefield, steady despite her condition. "The guild leader Vale has been defeated on your orders."
The words sank into the guild members like a blade.
Murmurs rose, but no one dared speak loudly.
Liara’s eyes widened.
She just bowed to him? In front of everyone? That Evil Sword?
And....
Leader was defeated....?
Her gaze shifted past Catherine, down into the crater she had crawled out of.
Vale’s body lay there.
His armor was shredded.
Blood covered him from head to toe.
His chest rose and fell weakly.
He was barely conscious.
His sword had fallen from his grip and lay a short distance away, useless now.
He looked... broken.
"Vice leader..." one of her officers whispered. "The leader..."
Liara said nothing.
Her throat tightened, but no words came.
All she could do was stare at the man who had carried Titan Edge through countless battles, now reduced to this.
Meanwhile, Isaac remained calm.
He looked down at Catherine, then past her to Vale.
His lips curved in the faintest hint of a smile.
’She really knows how to put on a show,’ he thought.
The sight of Catherine bowing to him, publicly declaring Vale’s defeat as his order, was deliberate.
He hadn’t told her to do that, but she clearly understood what he wanted without him having to say anything.
Isaac jumped down from the broken building.
His boots crunched against the rubble as he landed near the crater.
He walked calmly toward Vale.
The Titan Edge awakeners stirred.
Some of them were trying to stand, bloodied and shaken, ready to throw themselves at him in a desperate attempt to save their guild leader.
"Move one step and your guild leader will die here," Isaac said evenly.
His tone wasn’t loud, but it cut through the chaos.
The awakeners froze in place.
He stopped before Vale, looking down at him.
Vale was barely conscious. His breathing was ragged and his body trembled as he struggled to move.
Vale clenched his fist.
His jaw locked tight.
His vision was swimming, but one thought burned hotter than the pain coursing through his veins.
’I need... to fight...’
’I must protect... my... sister... even if it’s the last thing I do.’
Vale didn’t fear killing.
He didn’t fear crimes, blood, or punishment.
But the thought of his sister being left helpless, broken, and crying cut him deeper than any wound.
That was the one fear he could never push aside.
He tried to move again, forcing strength into his limbs, but the poison Catherine had left in his bloodstream slowed his body.
His muscles wouldn’t respond fast enough.
Then Isaac spoke. "Become my subject."
Vale glared up at him.
Hatred burned in his eyes.
He wanted nothing more than to rip that composed look off Isaac’s face.
He wanted to see him bleed.
Isaac crouched, leaning closer so that only Vale could hear.
His voice dropped to a low tone, making sure no one other than Vale heard him.
"You were the governor’s dog until now, all to protect your sister. So, become my dog instead. Do that, and I won’t touch your sister as long as you serve me faithfully."
Vale’s mind froze.
What...?
He stared at Isaac, stunned, unable to hide his shock.
Was this why he had shown up to gloat about Celia earlier?
Was this Isaac’s plan from the start?
Isaac’s expression didn’t shift. His calm stare only made Vale’s fury grow.
"So?" Isaac asked simply.
"I will kill—" Vale began, his voice shaking with rage.
"Are you sure?" Isaac interrupted.
The question hit him harder than a strike.
Vale fell silent.
He bit down hard on his lip.
His nails dug into his palms until blood seeped from his clenched fists.
Finally, he asked through gritted teeth, "...can you take down the governor?"
"Yes."
Vale stared at him, searching his face for even a flicker of doubt, but there was none.
"Will you really not touch Celia if I work for you?"
"Yes."
"What guarantee do I have?" Vale demanded.
"My words are the guarantee," Isaac replied.
Vale’s chest tightened.
He wanted to refuse.
But he was out of options. He had been cornered.
Maybe this was the karma that had been chasing him all along.
He gritted his teeth, then gave a sharp nod. "...Okay. But if you touch Celia, I will kill you."
"See, that wasn’t hard."
Isaac smiled.
Opening his Lord profile, he focused on the request in front of him.
[Request: Add Subject – Name: Vale Rae]
[Subject Slots Available: 9]
[Confirm Y/N?]
Isaac noticed something as he read the line.
’Hmm. Celia had von in her name, but he doesn’t?’
He filed the thought away for later and confirmed the request.
A second panel appeared in front of Vale.
His hazy eyes scanned through it.
His expression twisted in disgust, but he eventually lifted a trembling hand and agreed to the notification.
The air shifted immediately. A
faint ripple of System energy spread outward.
It wasn’t strong, but it was undeniable, brushing against everyone in the area like a passing breeze.
A soft tone followed in Isaac’s ears.
[Subject Added Successfully.]
[Subjects (2/10)]
Isaac smiled faintly.
Turning to Alice, he asked, "Can you heal him?"
Alice nodded silently.
She stepped forward, golden flames around her shifting to a softer glow as she laid a hand over Vale’s wounds.
Warmth spread through him as the healing process began, closing the gashes and purging the remaining poison.
Isaac, meanwhile, looked around at the scattered Titan Edge awakeners.
They were tense, watching him with sharp, desperate eyes.
Some looked ready to throw themselves at him the moment an opening appeared.
Isaac met their gaze and simply smiled.
Vale exhaled slowly as the healing settled over him.
His breathing grew steadier. The burning pain faded little by little. His strength was returning.
He raised his head and met Isaac’s gaze.
Then he looked around at the wreckage of the guild hall, at his members who were injured, beaten, and glaring with barely-contained hatred.
Vale understood.
He knew what Isaac wanted him to do.
He forced himself to his feet, legs trembling but holding.
Then, in front of everyone present, he lowered himself back down onto one knee.
His voice was hoarse but steady.
"Greetings, my lord."