Chapter 184: I’m Very Much Looking Forward to the Day I Completely Tame You, Senior
The surging brilliance gradually faded, and Shiltina's figure dashed to the edge of the nuclear power plant ruins.
Yet below that cliff of steel, what responded to her was only the molten stream of iron slowly flowing within the crimson furnace, akin to lava.
The steel structures that formed the ruins of the nuclear plant were slowly collapsing, disintegrating into countless fragments that fell into the crimson torrent, further melting into liquid iron… The wind faintly carried the sound of heavy rumbling.
And Ingrid’s figure had already vanished into that roaring furnace, no longer existing.
“Ingrid-senpai…”
Shiltina clenched her silver teeth, staring at that crimson molten steel.
In her hand, the backup Crest Equipment rapier was equally shattered, fractured into sparkling metallic shards that scattered across the ground, beyond any hope of repair.
This was the price Shiltina had to pay for using "Infinite Blade · Illusory Collapse", which caused the weapon used to collapse entirely, leaving not even the slightest possibility of restoration.
It was the most extreme form of combat. Regardless of how much damage it could inflict upon the enemy, the moment one decided to use it, the fate of the rapier was already sealed.
Such a resolve to be utterly shattered bore a certain resemblance to Ingrid, who had stood opposite Shiltina not long ago.
She did not choose to retreat beyond the border when the outcome was already decided, but stayed alone inside the nuclear plant… From the very beginning, Ingrid had held a will to die, having envisioned her end here.
If not, she wouldn’t have resolutely slashed that sword when Shiltina attempted to rescue her, cutting off her own final thread of survival.
“So, Ingrid-senpai…”
“In truth, from beginning to end, even when trapped in the deepest hell, you never stopped gazing at the stars, did you?”
Standing at the edge of the molten steel cliff, Shiltina stared at the crystal she held in her hand—left behind by Ingrid, carrying all the intelligence of the "Gravekeepers"—and spoke in a soft self-murmur.
“You likened yourself to a moth that would be scorched to ashes by the light…”
“But if not for the yearning in your heart for honor and glory—”
“Then why would a moth long accustomed to dwelling in darkness blindly and foolishly chase after such fleeting brilliance…”
“Moth to flame, seeking destruction?”
Her quiet whisper was swallowed by the roaring of molten steel, heard by no one.
...
Consciousness gradually returned amidst the darkness, the air tinged with dampness.
When Ingrid opened her eyes once more, she felt the moist yet warm sea breeze brushing against her face.
The sky was a clear, washed blue. She seemed to be on the shore of some unknown coastline… But when Ingrid tried to stand, she realized her body appeared bound by some sort of shackles, unable to move a single inch.
Was she… now in the world of the dead, the legendary Netherrealm?
The thought had barely emerged before Ingrid herself rejected it.
Memories slowly returned to her mind, recalling everything that had happened.
From Shiltina’s perspective, she had been directly engulfed by the light cannon created by "Illusory Collapse", falling into the molten furnace behind the nuclear plant, consumed by steel water at thousands of degrees, not even bones remaining.
But from Ingrid’s own perspective—
In that instant she fell from the cliff, about to plunge into the molten steel furnace, something happened that made her question if it was a hallucination.
If the world were a film reel playing at normal speed, then at that moment, it was as if the play button had been paused.
Everything—whether the flowing molten iron, the howling storm, the surging brilliance… even Ingrid’s own body falling in accordance with gravity—froze in place, like a still photograph.
Then, Ingrid saw a rift suddenly tear open in the frozen air.
A fluffy, snow-white tail emerged from the pitch-black fissure, wrapped itself around her waist, and dragged her straight into the darkness.
Wait a second…
That fluffy, snow-white tail—
Though it was only a fleeting glimpse, as she recalled that tail pulling her into the spatial rift, Ingrid couldn’t shake the sense of familiarity.
She felt she had seen the owner of that large, fluffy tail somewhere before.
“We meet again, senpai.”
A clear voice mingled with the sea breeze, resounding distinctly in Ingrid’s ears and interrupting her train of thought stirred by that inexplicable sense of familiarity.
She instinctively looked up.
Then, she saw not far away, the black-haired youth sitting on a rock by the coast, idly swinging his legs out of boredom.
Rast.
Ingrid recognized the face before her.
The two had once met by chance at the Arcane Tower a few months ago…
Back then, the alliance of nobles and the royal family had not yet turned hostile. At that time, Rast seemed to be searching for some hidden archive within the Arcane Tower, and at Shiltina’s request, Ingrid had used her authority as the Minister of Supervision within the military and Arcane Tower to offer Rast a small favor.
But beyond that, there had been no further interaction between them.
The reason Ingrid had helped with that small matter was because she had reviewed Rast’s freshman file and learned of his origins—he, too, came from a rather remote border town.
The vast majority of students at Starfall University were from noble backgrounds. Those from impoverished regions, like Ingrid and Rast, were rare exceptions among exceptions.
Their similar backgrounds and circumstances led Ingrid to feel a sense of shared sympathy with Rast, which made her offer him some degree of care within her ability.
However, that was merely the most ordinary form of seniority toward a junior—nothing more.
No matter how Ingrid recalled, she simply could not connect that new student who had only enrolled at Starfall University for half a year with the illusion-like frozen world just now, or that massive tail that tore through space.
“I know you must have many questions now, senpai, but those things can be explained slowly later.”
“So, I’ll keep it short.”
“You, senpai, are the one I saved.”
“If it weren’t for my ‘Stagnant World,’ you would’ve already been swallowed by molten steel, not even bones remaining…”
“Soaked in scalding steel, feeling the searing heat burn your body away little by little—this sort of thing, I actually have quite a bit of experience with… Trust me, even if one intends to die, this is undoubtedly one of the most painful ways to go.”
Rast sat on that massive rock, gazing at Ingrid in the distance, his voice calm and devoid of emotion.
Yet the content of what he said caused Ingrid to feel a quiet shock inside.
She stared into the boy’s pitch-black eyes, hoping to glean some clue from his gaze using her experience in the military.
As the saying goes, “Eyes are the windows to the soul.” During interrogations, it was often unnecessary to wait for a verbal answer; one could discern the truth from subtle facial expressions alone… As the Minister of Supervision, Ingrid had no shortage of expertise in this.
But very quickly, Ingrid realized it was futile.
Those pitch-black eyes, at a glance, seemed clear and bright, like calm stars at the bottom of a lake—but upon closer inspection, they were more like a dark pool, a black hole devouring everything, leaving only pure void, from which even light could not escape.
This was a monster she had never before seen or heard of… Her past interrogation and torture techniques were completely useless against Rast.
“Why… did you save me?”
After a long silence, Ingrid finally asked in a hoarse voice.
“Though I’d like to say it’s because you helped me back at the Arcane Tower… Unfortunately, just as you said, senpai, the sins you’ve committed with your own hands cannot be offset by any act of heroism, let alone a small favor like that.”
“So, let’s talk about some more practical reasons instead.”
Rast smiled slightly. “I’m actually secretly preparing to establish a clandestine organization, and I’m currently in desperate need of manpower.”
“And you, senpai, are the first person I’ve chosen—after all, whether it’s your strength or personality, you’re simply flawless as a subordinate…”
“Cold, indifferent, no nonsense, does everything with full effort and without hesitation—you don’t have those tedious scruples typical of government agencies. If not for that, you wouldn’t have become the most efficient, most useful Black Glove, your hands soaked in blood.”
“And most importantly, senpai, your identity is now clean… pure…”
Rast’s clean face carried a gentle smile. “The alliance of nobles and other secret organizations, the cult group—they abandoned you the moment they decided to withdraw from the Empire.”
“To the military and the Imperial Royal Family, you’ve already perished at the Gustav Nuclear Power Plant, burned away by molten steel, leaving no remains.”
“You’ve been wiped from the databases of every major intelligence agency. You are now, through and through, a dead person.”
He paused slightly. “And a dead person, in the eyes of the world, is naturally a more convenient and useful tool or pawn.”
“After all—dead people can do many things that the living cannot.”
The boy’s profile was bathed in sea breeze, soft and well-defined… Just like Rast’s clear voice, it made listeners feel like they were basking in spring warmth.
However, if one truly grasped the meaning of his words, they would sense the coldness and cruelty hidden beneath that gentle tone.
As the Minister of Supervision within the military, and secretly a Black Glove stained with countless bloodshed… Ingrid naturally understood the true meaning behind Rast’s words.
It was only now that she suddenly woke up—
The boy she first met, who came from a humble background but worked diligently to enter Starfall University… warm, humble, and polite—that side of Rast had merely been a trivial facade, a disguise.
The real Rast might be far colder, more indifferent, and ruthlessly pragmatic than she had imagined—someone whose true thoughts could never be discerned.
“This organization you say you’re building…”
A moment of silence passed before Ingrid asked hoarsely again, “Does Starfall University… and Shiltina herself, know about it?”
“Of course not. They will never know.”
Rast’s reply was still accompanied by a gentle smile.
“What I intend to establish is an organization completely loyal to me, hidden in the shadows behind the curtains of history, manipulating the world from the darkness…”
“If people like Starfall University or idealists like Shiltina were to find out and expose it to the light, what meaning would there be in its existence?”
“So…”
Ingrid stared into Rast’s eyes. “Can I take that to mean—”
“A secret organization similar to ‘Bronze Rose’ or those cult groups that wander the continent performing blood sacrifices?”
“Exactly.”
Rast nodded with a smile. “This force will be unbound by any country or law on the Western Continent, loyal only to me.”
“As for its members, they need not possess any will of their own. They need only carry out mine.”
“Establish mystery cults, infiltrate nations, manipulate wars… no law, no restraint—for the sake of the goal, they can slaughter innocents, even children, or target entire cities for blood sacrifices…”
“Ingrid-senpai, isn’t this exactly the life you were best at in the past—one you had already grown used to?”
His words paused slightly. “Believe me, if you choose to join, one day you will gain power and influence far beyond anything you once had. You will hold a status above all people and all beings.”
“At that time, you’ll be able to tame those who once humiliated you, who once looked down on you with arrogance… and turn them into your playthings.”
“You’ll drag them into the dust, make them gnash their teeth in hatred yet be helpless, forced to kneel like lapdogs—just as they once looked down on you from the clouds.”
“After all, this world is a vast jungle where the strong devour the weak. In the law of the jungle, the strong have the right to toy with the weak, and the weak should obediently become the playthings of the strong, shouldn’t they?”
“These years, we rose from humble origins, struggled with everything we had to climb upward, resorted to all means to raise our status, all in pursuit of strength and the desire to stand atop this world…”
“Wasn’t it all to take control of our destiny, to shed the identity of the weak, and to become the ones who oppress and toy with others—turning them into our toys?”
Rast’s smile was as warm as sunlight. “You know it well, senpai…”
“What I just said is not some delusional boast.”
“If I didn’t have a trump card that no one in the world could reach, how could I possibly have rescued you under Shiltina’s nose without anyone knowing…”
“So, let us reign over the multitudes together…”
He extended his hand toward Ingrid before him.
“Let’s turn the entire world into our plaything. How about it?”
However, looking at the hand extended toward her, Ingrid only slowly closed her eyes.
“It seems… the past me, as well as Dean Silver and Shiltina, never truly understood your heart, Rast.”
“Though you were born from humble origins, within your heart lies an ambition vast enough to swallow the world whole.”
“I understand now. The power you used to freeze the world, to save me from the cliff’s edge, was not ordinary. Not even in the Legendary Realm has there ever been a record of such an ability.”
“Maybe one day, your ambition really will overturn the entire world. In a world ruled by survival of the fittest, you may climb to the summit, reign over all people, and force all things beneath your feet, turning them into your playthings.”
“And by then, those who chose to follow you will share in your glory, second only to you, above all others… The blood and filth along the way will simply be necessary sacrifices on the path to kingship—nothing more than fodder.”
“However—”
She gently opened her eyes and met Rast’s gaze, those eyes like black holes that swallowed all light, unflinching.
“After witnessing the brilliance of the Sun with my own eyes—there’s no way I can return to the oppressive darkness and collude with it.”
“I reject your invitation. Kill me.”
...
Hearing Ingrid’s reply, Rast let out a soft sigh.
“As I thought, you refused me, senpai.”
He looked down at Ingrid, who was kneeling on the ground. “It’s just that I happen to have taken a liking to your abilities, senpai—”
“I must make you completely loyal to me, thoroughly tame you into my most devoted subordinate.”
He snapped his fingers. “Killing you outright… would be such a waste—”
“In that case, I suppose I’ll have to use some torture—Isn’t this how it’s done in anime?”
“Even the most noble and unyielding female knight, after enough torture, will eventually break and fall into depravity—”
“And then, be tamed into an obedient servant and lapdog.”
At the snap of his fingers, Ingrid felt the metallic mechanisms restraining her suddenly engage, accompanied by the sounds of gears turning and metal extending.
It was only now that she realized her situation. She seemed to be bound within an iron coffin by shackles forged from Deep-Sea Mithril.
The manacles and shackles made of Deep-Sea Mithril had sealed all her mobility and blocked the magic within her body, rendering all her Extraordinary abilities completely ineffective—At this moment, Ingrid bound in chains was no different from an ordinary person.
The iron coffin slowly closed, and then, driven by mechanisms and chains, the coffin that imprisoned Ingrid began moving slowly toward the sea.
“You think this will make me submit, Rast?”
Ingrid looked through the iron coffin’s slits toward the boy outside, her voice as calm as ever.
“Of course, I know you’re the Minister of Supervision in the military. Normal so-called torture and interrogation methods would be completely ineffective on you.”
“So, I’ve prepared something special this time—After all, with the sins you’ve committed: human trafficking, blood sacrifices, massacres of innocents and even children… No matter how cruel the punishment, it’s not too much, is it?”
Rast spoke outside the iron coffin:
“The shackles of Deep-Sea Mithril nullify all Extraordinary abilities, and it just so happens I possess a kind of time-reversal ability that can return you, senpai, to the state just one second before death.”
“So, you will be imprisoned in the coffin and sunk into the deep sea—you’ll die from asphyxiation due to lack of oxygen, and then be brought back to life at the moment of death… and so on, endlessly.”
“You’ll be trapped in this iron coffin submerged in the sea, endlessly cycling between suffocating to death and being revived, between life and death, again and again, until you completely surrender and submit to me.”
“So then, goodbye, senpai.”
“I look forward to the next time we meet—seeing your expression after your pride and dignity have been thoroughly shattered.”
“And—witnessing the day when you are completely tamed, docile and obedient, reborn anew.”
Rast’s voice echoed with the sound of dragging iron chains.
Before she could speak, Ingrid and the iron coffin were plunged together into the boundless deep sea.