Chapter 228 - Press Into The Ground

“Shut up, my parents are heroes, and you are the fool.

“How can people who disregard life understand how precious life is? I did not expect the kingdom’s ruler to be such a cold-blooded person. If I can stand up, I will definitely kill you!”

Moriarty screamed at the top of his lungs. However, the man’s eyes, sharper than a razor-sharp sword, kept staring at him. He did not move, but he did question him.

“You deny it, but you already know in your heart that what I was right. I’m not saying those things to belittle you. I just feel that you can still be valuable. What do you think? Do you want to get rid of the lies and let me show you the actual appearance of this world?

“Of course, you can also choose to prove your words to me after I save you. Love, integrity, sincerity, and so on could be the true meaning of life. You can even take revenge on me! Nothing will change as long as you are lying here, half-dead. If you’ve thought it through, then grab my hand.”

The man extended his hand to Moriarty. After a moment of hesitation, Moriarty grabbed his hand.

The memory came to an abrupt end. Moriarty collected his thoughts and looked at the person in front of him. The face in the crowd looked exactly like the one in his memory but much younger.

The gratitude he had for that man has turned to disgust. The man had taught him all his skills, and when the King saved him, Moriarty still adhered to the principles that Antonio had taught him. However, eventually, his thoughts changed. It was faster just to go ahead and take what he wanted. He did not have to worry about being scolded by his master when he did his experiments, and even when he experimented on living people; no one would say anything.

Everyone was afraid of him; they bowed to him as the pleasure of power filled his heart.

In just a few years, his progress was more significant than all the time he had spent practicing in the past; it made him feel happy. As the King said, bad people would live longer. So, he helped the King with missions, and he killed the people who had bullied him in the past. He broke their necks and tasted their fear. The tremble in his heart woke him up.

The etiquette and morals that Antonio had taught him in the past were all bullsh*t. Humility would only lead to bullies; only toughness could rule over everything.

He wanted to be an evil person—the worst kind.

As he shouted in his heart, Moriarty glanced away from Antonio and turned his attention toward Watson. “Kid, give me the Pen of Truth.”

“If I give you the Pen of Truth, will you let my brothers go?” Watson asked after a moment of silence.

“Of course, as long as you hand over the Pen of Truth, I will let your brothers go. I will do as I say.”

‘Of course not,’ Moriarty thought. He wanted to get the Pen of Truth. On the one hand, it was given to him by the King. If he were to lose it, he would be punished. On the other hand, he wanted the Pen of Truth to play a small game.

“Pen of Truth, come here!” Watson shouted at the empty place. With a whoosh, a red stream of light streaked across the sky and landed in front of him. It revealed the appearance of the Pen of Truth and wrote red words in the air.

[My respected master, did you call me?]

“Yes, that rat wants to borrow you.”

As he pointed at Moriarty, Watson signaled the Pen of Truth to go over to the man. The Pen of Truth hesitated for a moment and continued to write in the air.

[Your humble servant is willing to fulfill all of your requests, but that filthy magical beast in front of me clearly does not have the right to use me.]

“If I tell you to go, you can go. Don’t talk so much nonsense.”

[Yes, I will do as you wish, Honorable Master.]

Even though the Pen of Truth was unwilling, it still flew toward Moriarty.

Moriarty’s mouth twitched as he observed the pen being respectful to Watson; he looked dissatisfied. When he used the Pen of Truth, it was unconcerned about him. It frequently considered ways to punish him. He reasoned that it was due to the pen’s characteristics. He put up with it for a while, but then he realized it was not worth it. Why was the Pen of Truth so good toward Watson?

He was already filled with hatred toward Watson, and then he was even more dissatisfied with the young man.

“Sir Moriarty, I have given you the Pen of Truth. Release my brothers now.”

“Wait a minute. Before I release them, I need to use the Pen of Truth to ask a few questions.”

“You want to go back on your word?”

Watson frowned.

“Well, this isn’t going back on my word. After all, I did say I would release them after I got the pen, but I did not specify when I would do that.” When he saw Watson’s clothes fluttering in the wind, he felt a terrifying killing intent. Moriarty continued to say, “Of course, I assure you that this is the last time. I will release your brothers immediately if I receive the desired response.”

After he said that, he did not hesitate and began to ask the three people in his claws. “You said that Watson should not care about you. Are you not afraid of death?”

“Yes.” Peter, the weakest of the Trio, raised his head and spoke firmly.

No one was unafraid of death. Peter had laid in bed all year round, and it was not easy for him to move freely. His value of life far exceeded that of an ordinary person, but he did not want Watson to be hurt. It was Watson who had cured his illness. It was also his youngest brother who had brought him to experience the beauty of the world. He was unwilling to give up his life so easily, but he would never hesitate if it were for Watson.

“We are also willing,” Zeke and Zenoah said almost at the same time.

“Pen of Truth, can you check if what those people said is true?” Moriarty asked with a playful look on his face.

His idea was very simple; no one was unafraid of death. If those people said anything that was against their will, the Pen of Truth would detect it. He wanted Watson to see his brothers’ cowardice; he wanted to break their relationship.

There was nothing more painful than a family member’s betrayal. He had experienced it himself, so he knew it very well.

[Test completed. The individuals named Zeke, Zenoah, and Peter did not lie.]

What?

Moriarty’s smile froze on his lips. Those people were willing to die for Watson? There was not the slightest bit of deception? How was it possible?

He did not believe it, so he continued to ask, “I’ll let you go if Watson kneels and kowtows three times for my mercy. Would you do it?”

“No. How can we use our lives to measure our younger brother’s dignity? Watson, don’t waste your breath on this rat; kill him now.” Peter responded without fear.

[After testing, the individual named Peter’s statement is entirely true, without any concealment or omission.]

Moriarty’s expression became increasingly puzzled as the Pen of Truth wrote those words in mid-air.

It was absolutely impossible.

[Filthy Rat, the test has been completed, your right to use me has also expired! Take your dirty hands of my master’s brothers! Otherwise, my master will step on you and push you into the ground. You will not die, but my master will imprison and punish you forever!]

The Pen of Truth wrote a paragraph of blood-red words in the air. That was its ability to rewrite reality. It had used it on Moriarty, even without anyone’s order. Then, it turned around and flew back to Watson.

[Excuse me, Master, did I do the right thing?]

Everyone had a weird look on their faces. They had been furious at first, and they thought that Moriarty had looked repulsive. Then, they looked at him with pity.

That was especially true for Sylvan and Antonio. They knew that the Pen of Truth had treated Watson differently. Moriarty’s delusional attempt to use the Pen of Truth to inflict mental trauma on Watson could only be described as ridiculous.

“D*mn the Pen of Truth!”

Moriarty reacted at the same time. Watson had utterly subdued the Pen of Truth. The pen would not test according to his thoughts, no matter what he asked. Everything he did had been for naught. The clown was himself.

“If that’s the case, then die.”

If the Pen of Truth did not cooperate, then he would crush Zeke and the other two with his own hands. He would let Watson experience the pain of losing a loved one.

However, at that moment, a young voice said, “I want to make a wish. I wish to exchange positions with my three brothers. The price is to use one year of my master’s life.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Watson disappeared from where he was and was replaced by Zeke and his other two brothers. They fell to the ground covered in blood, grimacing in pain due to the injuries all over their bodies.

Watson appeared in Moriarty’s claws; those claws could crush a small mountain, but they did not even lift the creases on Watson’s clothes.

As he felt the heavy pressure around his body, Watson raised his head and stared at the panicking Moriarty. “It’s all thanks to the Pen of Truth that caused you to fall into a rage, giving me the chance to make a move!”

“Lord Moriarty, I have to say that I have never hated a person so much in my life. You are the first. Perhaps you don’t deserve to be called a man. I have no psychological burden for someone like you, no matter what I do.”

“You… What do you want to do? I’m warning you—if you kill me, the goldbiter rats will destroy the border. Do you wish to bury the entire border with me?”

Moriarty sounded much more flustered. He wanted to loosen his grip on Watson, but he felt as if an invisible and majestic force had locked his claws. He could not open them.

“That problem is very easy to solve. Perhaps I just won’t kill you?” The corners of Watson’s lips curled upward.

Violent elemental fluctuations emanated from his body, condensing into colorful colors. Hundreds of platinum and diamond-tier items that had been rotating in the sky fell like raindrops, rapidly increasing in size as they fell. They smashed into Moriarty’s body like a mountain, smashing him into the ground. The earth trembled as a result of hundreds of collisions that were comparable to meteorites. The twisted branches had turned into weapons that were sharper than long spears; they stabbed into the ground, again and again.

Moriarty’s body was crushed into a pile of meat paste in an instant, seeping into the soil. Only a massive claw remained on Watson’s body. Watson stepped on it and pushed it into the ground, just as the Pen of Truth had predicted.