In the office on the top floor of the Dark Hand headquarters, the air was thick with the scent of cigars mixed with old banknotes.
Victor reclined lazily in the large central sofa, which was wide enough to accommodate three people. His black shirt collar was casually open, and his crossed legs swung rhythmically and gently.
His left arm was wrapped around Wednesday's slender waist. Her pale face showed no expression, her eyes downcast as if indifferent to everything, with only her slight lean toward Victor's body betraying a trace of imperceptible intimacy.
His right arm was tightly hugged by Enid. Her azure eyes were crinkled into crescent moons with laughter, and from time to time she leaned in close to whisper in Victor's ear, making the corners of his mouth curl up.
At first glance, he looked exactly like a playboy indulging in a life of luxury and pleasure.
"My friend..."
A hoarse voice, sounding as if it came from the ancient abyss, rang out abruptly, breaking the lazy atmosphere in the room.
"I feel a familiar power within you... As expected, collaborating with you was the right choice."
The voice originated from a stone carving of a coiled dragon embedded in the inner wall of the office.
At this moment, the dragon head's eyes were flashing with an ominous red glow. It was the ancient demon sealed here—Holy Lord.
Hearing this, the cynical smile on Victor's face deepened.
He didn't stand up, but simply stopped swinging his leg. Grinning, he pulled several talismans shimmering with a strange faint light from his pocket—
Rat, Rabbit, Dragon, Sheep, Monkey.
He began to carelessly toss them up and down, the five talismans tracing dazzling arcs in the air.
Holy Lord's gaze was glued to the flipping talismans, the red light in the dragon's eyes flickering with their rise and fall.
That focused, even somewhat longing look, actually resembled a pet waiting to be fed.
"Five!"
Holy Lord's voice trembled slightly with excitement.
"It's been a thousand years... I've never felt freedom so close!"
"Well done! Find the remaining seven talismans. Once I regain my freedom, you may take your pick of my treasures, and my authority shall be shared with you!"
Victor let out an unmasked sneer.
"Holy Lord, I'm glad you're so generous. But..."
His tone shifted, and his eyes grew sharp.
"I'm not happy with you just making empty promises. I'm not a fool like Valmont, who'd be led by the nose for a lifetime by some ethereal carrot. Give me something practical, old man."
The office instantly fell into a dead silence, with only Enid's slightly nervous, almost inaudible breathing.
The red light on Holy Lord's dragon head flashed violently, clearly enraged by Victor's blunt provocation.
After a moment of stalemate, Holy Lord seemed to weigh the pros and cons. Suppressing his anger, he said in a deep voice, "As everyone knows, I, Holy Lord, value my promises most."
From the shadows, a Shadowkhan Ninja with glowing red eyes emerged silently, handing a scroll list shimmering with a faint golden luster to Victor.
"From the treasures on this list, you may choose any three first."
Holy Lord's voice carried a hint of temptation.
"Once I regain my freedom, everything on the list will be yours!"
Victor took the scroll and, without even looking at it, placed it in front of Wednesday and Enid.
"dears, see if there's anything you like?"
His attitude was as casual as if he were letting his female companions pick out jewelry from a shop window.
Enid leaned in curiously, her eyes scanning the bizarre names and images of items on the list, finally pointing to a deep blue potion radiating the aura of eternal life.
"I want this! The Potion of Eternal Youth!"
Her face was filled with a longing for eternal youth.
Wednesday was much calmer. Her slender fingers slid steadily across the list, her dark eyes quickly scanning the treasures that would drive the outside world mad—
Including ancient texts recording powerful dark magic.
However, her fingertip eventually stopped on a piece of jewelry with an effect similar to Enid's choice, but with an extremely ancient and elegant design.
"This one."
Her voice was cold and devoid of emotion.
Victor arched an eyebrow, a knowing smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
As expected, no matter what kind of woman, there was a certain obsession with the pursuit of "eternity."
But he didn't ask further. He just grinned and turned to Holy Lord, waving the list like a piece of scrap paper.
"Look, my girls have made their choices. As for me..."
He drew out his words, his face showing an expression that was a mix of greed and mockery.
"What I want isn't on this list."
"What do you want?"
Holy Lord's voice carried a hint of wariness.
Victor leaned forward, looking directly into Holy Lord's crimson eyes, and said word by word:
"Your Shadowkhan army. I want absolute control over them."
"Impossible!"
Holy Lord's voice suddenly rose, full of shock and anger, the stone carving itself seemingly vibrating.
"This is robbery!"
Victor laughed loudly, leaning back into the sofa again, his arms spread wide across the backrest in an extremely arrogant posture.
"Of course! Otherwise, what did you think I was doing?"
Victor crossed his legs, the five talismans at his fingertips flipping up and down as if they were alive, tracing dazzling arcs.
The cynical smile on his face hadn't changed at all, but his gaze was as sharp as a blade, piercing straight into the crimson eyes of Holy Lord's statue.
"Holy Lord!"
Victor's tone carried a condescending laziness, as if he were stating an obvious fact.
"You need to understand the situation. Right now, you're the one asking me for help, not the other way around. Since you're being so insincere..."
He intentionally drew out the end of his sentence, then closed his fingers, the five talismans landing steadily in his palm.
"I'm very worried about the worth of those promises of yours."
The air seemed to freeze. The red light on Holy Lord's dragon head flickered violently, showing the overwhelming rage and struggle within.
To be coerced like this by a human he viewed as an ant was an utter humiliation!
But... freedom, the thousand-year seal, the longing to see the light of day again gnawed at his soul like venomous insects.
The silence lasted for a full minute, with only Enid's slightly nervous breathing remaining in the office.
Wednesday remained expressionless, but her fingers resting on Victor's arm tightened almost imperceptibly.
Finally, as if having exhausted all his strength, Holy Lord squeezed out a humiliated compromise through his teeth.
"Fine! I'll give it to you!"
Take it! Take it! The stronger the power you gain, the harsher the 'good chi' will target you! When the time comes... I'll take it back with interest!
Holy Lord roared frantically in his heart, pinning his hopes on the laws of balance, fantasizing about the pleasure of future revenge.
However, Holy Lord would never have expected—
In an unknown place, a sword hanging on an ancient stone wall actually moved without wind, emitting bursts of clear humming and vibrating slightly!
In the void, a clear and righteous young voice seemed to ring out leisurely:
"Demonic energy is stirring. Hmph, restless again. Just wait and see how my sword slays the Demonic Dragon in the future."
Though the voice was soft, it contained a supreme majesty that was purely masculine and righteous, capable of cleansing all evil.
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