****
"I'm merciful to those who deserve it. But anyone who dares to question my intelligence or touch my bottom line. That person would face his/her worst nightmare." Justin said.
"As a king, my order is absolute. On no condition must you break it."
The change in Justin was just too rapid. Although, he wasn't smiling and playful. Nevertheless, he was still approachable. But now…
This left a bitter taste in their mouth. Everyone could only swallow their bitterness.
Justin turned to look at Susan and said.
"I don't care what the hell was going on between you two. But please try to solve it and stop with your pretense."
Susan was flabbergasted. Her mouth was aghast.
"You knew he had feelings for you but didn't try to clarify it. You turn him into a fool. If you're not selfish and pretentious, then what are you? And I don't need such people around me." He didn't mince his words.
"With the state of things. The world is changing rapidly. It is like a ticking time bomb. And if we don't prepare and solidify our standing. Then, it won't be other people that would sacrifice but us."
"Grandpa Phillip, how do you feel about the world when you become a second circle existence?" Justin asked.
"Different. To be honest, anytime I stood by the window and looked into the city. I feel like I'm being watched. My hair stood straight and my instinct screamed of danger." He answered truthfully.
His response shocked almost everyone in the building. But Justin didn't have time to babysit any of them.
"Imagine that you have been feeling that for the past three weeks. How would you feel?"
"Terrified!"
"Yeah, terrified. Every battle I fight, that's how I feel. Killing your enemy doesn't guarantee your safety. It increased the hatred of those in the shadow against you… "
"The more I kill, the more that feeling increases. I felt 10 times the way you feel…"
"It would get to a point that you won't be able to sleep. And to stay conscious and sane you need a lot of mental strength."
The more Justin the more fearful the people got. They couldn't imagine the feeling.
Unknown to them, their back was drenched in cold sweats.
'ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ N ovelBi(n)',
"Steven, what did we discuss before we came here?"
Steven swallows the lumps in his throat. What happened was just shocking for him to speak immediately.
"We discover a way to make weapons from the beast bones. But only the second circle bone can be used. The lead— king planned to equip everyone with this new armament and asked how many beasts we needed." Steven paused and looked at Justin.
"Tell them."
"10. But he asked us not to tell you. He would do the killing of the 10 beasts." Steven the pipe man concluded and shook his head.
Shocked!
The people didn't even know what to think anymore. Everything was just too much to process.
"I'm not telling you this to get your favor. But telling you to use your brain and stop being delusional."
"Every time, we're at the stake of being killed. It is not just to the beast. But to an unknown existence. Because a day is coming you will need people to save you but you won't find it."
"Now, with the knowledge of this. Do you expect me to allow you to jump into a sacrificial street in the name of being righteous or for some fame? "
No one could talk.
"What I fear is, it was not even those people that were being sacrificed but you?"
"Why did you say that?" Grandpa Philip questioned.
"According to you, those people were shouting," Justin asked.
"Yes." Grandpa Philip nodded.
"Then fresh blood and more blood."
Listening to this, everyone began to understand what Justin was trying to say.
"Do you see a zombie? No. Why were the people so confident that zombies won't appear? And why are you sure that you weren't discovered by them? Why was it that moment they decided to sacrifice those people."
"Everything was a trap," Susan said in shock.
It was not only her that was shocked. Everyone in the room was stupefied, including the bleeding Mack on the ground.
"Yes. It was a trap." Grandpa Philip nodded.
'ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ N ovelBi(n)',
"We were too consumed by their detestable act to look at the bigger picture." He shook his head.
"A second circle beast would have long discovered their shouting and the smell of blood. But didn't appear until those men retreated." He sighed.
"Can we still go outside under this frightening atmosphere?" Nasir whispered.
But everyone in the room could hear him. No one thought he was being a coward. Because outside was getting more dangerous every passing second.
"If that was all. I won't care and let you perform your glorious saving." Justin announced.
"Is there still more to it?" Kira asked with a trembling voice.
"What do you think?" he asked, staring at her.
Seeing his gaze, Kira knew things were more complicated than she imagined.
Goodness! She screamed in her mind.
"Both of you fought a newly evolved Second Circle beast and you were injured. Thanks to Grandpa Philip's evolution. Things would have gotten nasty."
"Now, do you believe those people would sacrifice people for First level existence?"
"Lea— My King, can you please not tell us any more?" Merab asked and everyone could see her hand trembling.
"Why won't I tell you? This is a chance to learn. We're not only fighting against beasts and zombies. But human and a very dangerous powerful existence beyond your imagination."
"Chloe, go and bring one of the people?"
"Yes. Yes." She nodded and rushed out of the room like she was escaping a death sentence.
Outside the room, Chloe leaned on the wall, placing her palm on her chest. She took a deep breath and wiped the sweat from her forehead.
'Unless I have no choice. I won't go outside.' She vowed and left.
After a couple of minutes, she returned with a middle-aged woman.
All eyes turned to the middle-aged woman and Justin. This time around no one questioned why she brought this woman.
"Were you forced to it?" Justin asked.
"No," The woman responded.
*****