Master of Lust

67  First Kill [3]

Chapter - 67

"What the hell is this piece of garbage doing?" The forest was filled with the constant, unrelenting sound of Gruff's fists crashing against the wooden shield, his anger still running high. However, as the minutes ticked by, the old man's expression shifted from amusement to growing unease.

The whole scene had taken an unexpected turn, and despite Gruff's relentless assault, Rick remained unmoved.

Rick, against all odds, had stood his ground, and the wooden shield he clutched was in pristine condition, just as it was when he summoned it. There were no signs of wear, no damage, not even a single scratch. It was a puzzling mystery that defied all reason, and Rick couldn't help but wear a sardonic grin as he gazed at Gruff.

Gruff, on the other hand, was in a sorry state. His once-mighty punches had turned into feeble strikes, and he gasped for breath, each inhalation coming in ragged bursts. No matter how hard he swung, no matter how hard he hit,  the moment his fist connected with the wooden shield, it felt like some unseen force was sucking the strength right out of him, leaving his arms limp and powerless.

Every punch he threw left Gruff's arms feeling like they'd been drained, robbed of their strength. He punched like a man possessed, desperation clear in his eyes, but it was all in vain. Rick stood there, untouched, a mocking grin on his face.

Rick's smirk infuriated and baffled Gruff. How could this seemingly ordinary boy endure his relentless barrage so effortlessly? It was a complete defiance of all logic and common sense.

Gruff's face twisted with a mix of anger, frustration, and sheer confusion. He couldn't wrap his head around the situation. It felt like there was some invisible shield or power guarding Rick and the wooden shield, making all of Gruff's attacks and assaults pointless.

The spectators, including the old man and his gang, observed in absolute silence as Gruff's punches lost their potency. The mocking remarks and laughter that had previously filled the air had vanished, replaced by an eerie quiet marked by astonishment and uncertainty.

The girl, who had started as a powerless observer, couldn't help but feel a glimmer of hope rising within her. Rick's tenacity and the strange powers at work had successfully thwarted Gruff's brutality, offering a ray of salvation in their dire predicament.

Meanwhile,  Rick, despite feeling physically drained from the prolonged ordeal, couldn't resist savoring the moment. He had defied Gruff's savagery and proven himself unbreakable. The enigmatic powers at play had granted him an unexpected edge, and he was determined to make the most of it.

With a cocky grin, Rick mocked Gruff, his voice filled with amusement, "That's the best you can do? I thought you were the top dog here. Guess I was wrong. You are just a dog."

[What are you taunting about? How long are you going to dilly-dally about it? Just kill the Motherfuckers. Master!]

But before Rick could even gloat, or Gruff could reply him, the pale blue screen of the system appeared in front of him.

"You really want me to do it?" Rick hesitated. He was still not convinced to go through with the thought of killing.

[Don't if you want an early exit. I'll just find a new host. Do you think I give a damn whether you kill or die? Master!]

"But..."

[Seriously, don't turn into one of those pathetic losers I had as masters from my past. Make a god damn choice. Either you kill or kick the bucket. It's not rocket science. Why do you have to be such a pussy about it... Master!]

[And it's not like they're saints. They were about to take turns violating this girl. It's called rape, you know. Where's your manhood? Did the patriarchs of this world kick the bucket?]

"Did you have hosts before me?" Rick could not help but ask.

[Is that what you really want to know right now? Master!]

[You've got these meatheads with biceps the size of watermelons trying to kill you. And that is what you want to know? We can chat about other useless crap later. Master!]

[Now grow some balls, and put these bloody rapists six feet under. It's your turn to crush some balls. Master!]

As Rick received a stern lecture from the system, Gruff's face turned a fiery shade of red in response to Rick's taunts. His fists clenched tightly as he made one last desperate attempt at a punch, but it lacked the ferocity of his previous blows. The outcome was no different—Gruff's arm went numb, and Rick and the shield remained unharmed.

With Gruff's relentless assault finally thwarted, Rick knew it was his moment to shine.

"Feeling a bit limp there, tough guy?" he jeered, his words cutting through the previously tense silence.

"Now it's my turn," Rick declared with a determined look in his eye. Since he had made up his mind, he knew he couldn't let this opportunity slip through his fingers.

Like the system said, and helped him understand, "politely", it was a do-or-die situation, and he understood that leaving these guys alive today would only lead to more trouble down the road. Rick had watched enough movies to know that villains never let go of their grudges.

Since the villains never forgave and forgot. He was under no illusion that the old man or his men would spare any effort to hunt him down if given the chance. With that knowledge burning in his mind, Rick made his choice – he had to go all the way, not just to nip the buds but to destroy the roots as well,  eradicate the threat completely.

With the old man's sinister intentions and Gruff's relentless brutality, Rick had made up his mind. He had to go all the way, not just nip the buds, but destroy the roots as well. He couldn't afford to show any mercy.

Rick squared his shoulders and tightened his grip on the wooden shield, a surge of determination fueling his actions. He swiftly and deliberately thrust the shield toward Gruff, aiming to strike Gruff with force.

However, in comparison to the Gruff's devastating blows, Rick's punch felt like a mere tap, a gentle breeze against a hurricane. It lacked the speed and power that Gruff had displayed earlier, and the difference between the two punches was embarrassingly evident.

Gruff, confident in his muscular build and immense strength, chose not to evade or dodge Rick's punch. Instead, he intended to take it head-on, right on his chest. With a taunting grin, he couldn't resist delivering one final, humiliating taunt, sneering with arrogance, "You're like a mosquito trying to bite an elephant!"

Rick's frustration and anger flared as Gruff's taunting words hit home. He knew that his punch alone wouldn't be enough to defeat Gruff. But Rick had a plan, and he needed to execute it perfectly.

But when the wooden shield made contact with Gruff's chest, the smirk on his face froze instantly. It was as if time had slowed down for him, and he felt a sudden, excruciating surge of pain radiating from his chest.

The Gruff's eyes bulged wide, and his mouth opened in a silent scream as the impact of Rick's punch sent shockwaves of agony coursing through him. The visibly weak punch, which he had initially dismissed, had become a searing source of torment.

Pain etched across his face, Gruff desperately wanted to clutch his chest, hoping to alleviate the burning sensation that had engulfed him. The confidence and mockery that had once adorned Gruff's demeanor had crumbled, replaced by unadulterated agony.

Then, in an inexplicable instant, a resounding "crack" reverberated through the forest, signaling the shattering of something that defied understanding. Before anyone could fully comprehend what had just happened, Gruff was catapulted through the air like a missile.

Rick stood firm, his arm extended after the punch, a resolute expression on his face. Gruff soared past the old man and his frightened henchmen, a streak of blurry motion, and slammed into a colossal rock boulder situated behind them.

The collision was catastrophic. Upon impact, Gruff's body triggered a burst of debris and dust, shrouding the view of the terrified spectators. The forest was suddenly jolted awake, and it felt as if time itself had momentarily halted in the wake of the earth-shattering occurrence.

As the dust gradually dispersed and the shroud of obscurity dissipated, the harsh truth emerged before the eyes of those present. Gruff was splayed out in a nightmarish pose, his limbs contorted at unsettling angles, and his neck brutally twisted.

The lifeless form of Gruff was grotesquely sprawled against the colossal rock, serving as a chilling testament of the force behind the impact.

His limbs had been contorted into unnatural positions, with shattered bones jutting through torn flesh. His right arm bent backward, while his left leg had broken in multiple places, creating jagged, bone fragments piercing through torn muscles and skin.

Blood streamed from his lifeless form, forming a gruesome pool around the boulder. His injuries were a nightmarish combination of torn flesh and exposed bone, each wound a testament to the brutality of his demise. Nôv(el)B\\jnn

His neck, in particular, had borne borne the brunt of the impact, snapping with a sickening crack. The vertebrae shattered into fragments, leaving his head hanging at an impossible angle. A jagged wound marked the site of the fracture, oozing a thick, dark stream of blood.

Gruff's expression, which had once oozed arrogance, was now replaced by a grimace of excruciating pain and disbelief. His lifeless eyes stared blankly ahead, wide with shock. His mouth hung open as if caught in a silent scream, capturing the torment of his final moments.

The forest had morphed into a gruesome scene of death, filled with the pungent smell of blood. An eerie silence hung in the air, broken only by the faint rustling of leaves in the wind. The old man's face had turned a sickly shade of gray, and his eyes displayed disbelief.

The old man's men, who had earlier cheered on their companion's brutality, now stood in horrified shock, their overconfidence shattered by the horrifying sight before them.

The old man and his henchmen were left speechless, confronted with the gruesome spectacle before them. Gruff, once their fearsome enforcer of terror, now lay broken and lifeless. He might not have been the strongest, but compared to Rick, he was like a beast facing a tiny raccoon.

The girl, who had watched the entire sequence of events with wide-eyed amazement, felt a mix of relief and horror. She had been saved from a terrible fate.

'But at what cost?' The girl thought as she looked at Rick, her brows furrowed. There was nothing free in this world.

"Who's next?" It was Rick's voice that finally shattered the silence.

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[A/N: Do vote, leave a comment, send me golden tickets and bring up some gifts. Also, don't forget to read my other story, 'The Devil's Harem'.]