BXBX NOVEL Chapter 249: Masked
Some of the health professionals tried to talk to him and offered counseling, but the damage was done.
The sense of abandonment and loss weighed heavily on him, and no words could ease his pain in that moment.
"Are you alright?" A man wearing a face mask sat beside the boy.
The boy looked at him, unable to see the man's face clearly. He sniffled and wiped his tears, unsure how to respond.
"It's my mistake. I know it's not the hunters' fault," he replied, his voice dejected. He was afraid of being judged again, so his answer was more careful.
"Those guys could have killed that monster in one attack," the masked man chuckled, his tone filled with sarcasm.
The boy frozed, confused by the man's words.
"But they dragged it out, didn't they? That's why your father died," he hinted.
"N— No, you're lying," the boy replied, stuttering. His eyes filled with a mix of denial and fear as he tried to reject the masked man's insinuation.
"It's up to you whether to believe it or not. Just remember, calling them out—that was the right thing to do, and you're brave for doing that. You're father will be proud of you if he was still alive," the masked man said while standing up.
He walked away, leaving the boy confused.
"I— I'm right? It's their fault that Daddy died?" The boy repeated those words, his eyes narrowing in anger.
He gripped his fists in rage, glaring at the hunters who were still talking to the press like they were some kind of hero.
The boy slowly stood up, wanting to run at them, but he knew he was too weak.
Then, he saw something in the area where the masked sat: a vial and a letter.
Curious, he picked up the letter and read it. "If you want to get your revenge and become stronger, drink this"
A couple meters away , Reign lean on the railings as he watched a masked man interact with the orphaned boy.
He overhead them with his senses, and he also saw how the man put the vial into the boy's side.
'Man, this place is really lively—a demon right of the bat, and then a mysterious person casually giving strange drugs to minors,' he thought to himself.
Of course, he didn't feel it was his place to confront the masked man. He was certain whatever that guy was doing was nothing compared to what he had done.
Giving an unknown substance? That's child's play.
Reign had literally caused a pandemic that killed an entire city. If there were a ranking here for the most evil, he would 100% top the chart.
'Alright, I've watched enough drama. Time to hit the road,' he muttered to himself.
There was no reason to linger here any longer—
"ARHHHHHHHH!" A loud scream pierced the air.
The boy, who had been crying moments ago, started growling and attacking the people around him, becoming violent and uncontrollable.
He had completely lost control, his eyes turning crazed red. His skin began to darken, tainted by corruption, and a dark miasma started to seep from his body, swirling around him ominously.
'This...' Reign paused, recognizing the transformation. It was the same thing he had seen back at the Research Center, when those doctors had injected a serum into the prisoner.
But this one looked stronger and more complete, evident by the fact that the boy didn't die right away.
SWOOOOSH!
The hunters reacted quickly, drawing their swords to confront the boy.
Risa was the first to moved, her sword flashing through the air in a swift arc aimed directly at the boy's neck.
The blade sliced through the air with a sharp whistle, aimed for a decisive strike.
But just as it seemed the blow would land, the boy's skin around his neck suddenly hardened, as if a layer of metal had encased him.
CLANG!
Risa's sword met this resistance with a resounding sound, sparks flying as metal clashed against hardened flesh.
Surprised by the unexpected turn of events, she staggered back.
The boy impervious to her attack, let out another guttural roar, his eyes glowing more intensely.
The other hunters, sensing the danger, closed in fast, their weapons ready for another strike against this new threat.
'That boy is even more powerful than that demon before!' Reign thought, assessing the escalating threat that made the whole place chaotic again.
The other civilians started running away in panic.
"Dude, run away! Why are you just standing there?" the 30-year-old man whom Reign had spoken to earlier urged him.
"Don't worry about me,"
"You're crazy, man!" the 30-year-old man shouted, before finally turning to run with the fleeing crowd, leaving Reign free to watch the whole fight.
The three hunters quickly shifted tactics, opting to lead the rampaging boy away from the crowded highway to prevent further civilian casualties.
Risa took the lead again, skillfully dodging the boy's frenzied attacks.
She dashed around him, provoking him to chase her as she leaped and rolled away from his clawed strikes.
Behind her, the other hunters mirrored her movements. They formed a coordinated front, their katanas ready to strike defensively and guide the boy's movements away.
They refrained from using stronger techniques despite their capability, mindful of the potential collateral damage it could cause.
In the distance, the masked man responsible for the chaos watched everything with a smirk, jotting down notes as if the entire scene were merely an experiment to him.
"So, I'm right. Strong emotions can increase the chance of the serum working," he mused aloud, affirming his hypothesis with a satisfied nod.
"But the boy is still too impulsive. At this point, he's no different from a monster," he shook his head.
"I beg to differ. I think the boy is doing pretty well," a voice came from behind the masked man, startling him as he realized someone had approached unnoticed.
With a quick reaction, black miasma started to release from his body, but before he could unleash it completely, his whole body froze.
It felt as though he was being stared down by death itself.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Reign warned.
"W—Who are you?" The man asked, his voice trembling, unable to muster the courage to even turn around.
His instincts warned him that any unnecessary action might lead to his death.
"Don't mind me, I'm just a demon lord," Reign answered casually, downplaying his title as if it were nothing impressive.
"A demon lord?" The man gulped nervously after hearing Reign's response.
Normally, he might have dismissed such a claim as a bluff, but in this moment, he couldn't deny it even if he wanted to.
He had faced off against a Middle Upper Demon before, and though he had been forced to retreat, he had still managed to hold his own in the fight.
But this was different.
The power in Reign's words alone was enough to make his target cower in fear, leaving the masked man to wonder just how powerful the being behind him.