RNP Page 184
Page 184
"It is absolutely impossible for me to betray such a great being and sell out his vital information about the Round Tower!"
Raising his head, Mino's eyes shone brightly, as if filled with deep conviction and longing.
"Oh? Is that so...?"
Sensing Mino's genuine emotions, Kletina narrowed her eyes slightly.
At this moment, the murderous intent he felt towards Chief Lak reached its peak.
She attributed all the crises and tribulations the demon race had faced over the years to this "great hero" that Mino had mentioned.
On the day of the blessing, if given the chance, she really wanted to try... to leave that holy archmage with some unforgettable impression.
However, the key right now is to extract information from Mino as quickly as possible.
Kleidina looked at Mino, knowing that this incident involved both his most precious sister Shana and his most respected Chief Lark.
But she also had reasons why she couldn't back down.
That's why she chose to take matters into her own hands, even bringing out the cruel magic needle that she never wanted to use, one that could harm the soul.
Extending her crystalline fingers, Kletina aimed her crystal-red rose dagger at Mino, a resolute glint in her eyes.
All for, Lord Demon King—
"I'll do it."
With a hiss, the Rose Magic Needle aimed at Mino, whose power was sealed and who looked like an ordinary person, and shot straight into a spot on his right arm!
"Holy crap!!!"
Mino screamed loudly.
Chapter 264 Rose Needle, Innate Torture of the Holy Body
"Hiss... No martial ethics... If you're going to carry out the execution... at least... say something..."
Mino gasped repeatedly, her face contorting in agony. A piercing pain surged through her entire body, as if she were being pierced by a thousand needles.
With a thud, Mino collapsed onto the bed, managing to squeeze out these words.
As a powerful race closest to the Demon King, the Rose Shadow Demons possess an intangible yet terrifying talent. Beneath their intoxicating rose fragrance lies a terrifying toxin capable of corroding the nerves.
The rose needle seemed to have only pierced Mino's right arm, but intense pain surged from all parts of his body almost instantly, as if it had penetrated his flesh and taken root directly in his soul.
"Hiss, it's nothing special..." Mino said, a few beads of cold sweat appearing on his forehead, his face pale.
If he hadn't recently been tortured by the "whip of agony," he would probably be crying out in pain by now, but he can still endure this level of pain.
"Mino, hero, why don't you just confess?"
Seeing Mino's expression, Kletina hesitated for a moment, then tried to offer a way out:
"This Rose Magic Needle takes a lot of energy from me, and in some situations it can even be a good source of nourishment. I'll have to make a huge decision to actually use it..."
"Stop...stop talking nonsense!" Enduring the pain, Mino raised her head and said haltingly and with difficulty:
"You wanted me to confess before the torture... and you wanted me to confess after the torture... If I confess now... wouldn't all those needles have been inserted for nothing!"
"My lord, you?!" Altotai, somewhat moved, stood in the corner.
"Are you already delirious from being stabbed?!"
"...Believe it or not, I'll have Apophis come over right now and share the pain sensation?"
"I was wrong! Keep going! I'm here to support you!"
Kleidina looked at Mino, who was already having to rely on willpower to suppress her pain, and gently reminded her, "Hero, I must remind you that physical pain is the easiest part of this torture."
"Now the roots of the 'Rose Needle' have taken hold in your soul through your flesh, but the rose petals that are exposed are the most deadly. Once I release them, a continuous stream of neurotoxins will seep out from the petals and thoroughly corrode your soul."
"If I had to put it in perspective, the pain you're feeling now is like being steamed in boiling water, but what's coming next is like the neurotoxins actually soaking into your soul..."
Upon hearing the words, Mino's eyes widened in shock, followed by a chill running through her entire body.
If what Klettina said is true, then the pain that follows will be dozens of times greater than what we are experiencing now!
Furthermore, what they said about potentially causing irreversible damage to the soul is actually true!
There is no way to alleviate the pain that originates from the soul; even the thought of Mino fainting from the pain is a luxury. This is a cruel torment that transcends the physical realm!
"Hero, it's not too late to give it away for free now..." Kleinna advised gently.
"Don't think about it!"
Mino, pale-faced, gritted her teeth and said, "I refuse any shameless advances until I'm lured into a honey trap!!!"
Kletina hadn't expected that Mino would still be joking even at a time like this. How could this terrifyingly resolute and unyielding warrior be subdued by such a low-level method of torture?
With a sigh, Kletina had no choice but to release the poison from the Rose Needle.
In an instant, Mino's pupils suddenly widened and then dilated again!
Terrifying pain surged forth like a tidal wave, more than ten times greater than the previous agony! Mino felt as if every cell in his body had gained self-awareness, writhing, twisting, and churning in agony! He was on the verge of collapse!
"It hurts! It hurts so much!!!"
Mino gripped the sheets beneath him, sweat pouring out, his eyes wide. The intense pain he felt the moment he came into contact with the toxins had pushed him to his limit!
But what happened next terrified Mino even more was happening: the toxin injected into her soul seemed to have a life of its own, suddenly gathering together and relentlessly eroding the weakest point of her soul!
"Ah!" Mino instantly tilted her head back and screamed in agony:
"Ouch, ouch, ouch... ouch, ouch... eh?"
The screams stopped abruptly, and a moment of confusion flashed in Mino's eyes.
He gradually sat up straight, looking at the crystal-colored rose that had been infused with all the poison and turned into a transparent shell. He tilted his head and said somewhat uncertainly, "It doesn't seem... that painful?"
The pain only flared up for a short while, and then Mino felt a faint energy rising from the depths of her soul, instantly relieving the pain.
Even the physical pain initially caused by the Rose Needle was greatly reduced.
"Huh? How could this be?" Kleinna was stunned.
She had originally planned that if Mino couldn't bear the pain and her soul was in danger, she would have to give up completely and think of other solutions.
But Mino's performance now far exceeded her expectations. The dark and corrosive toxins should have caused the most intense reaction to Mino's bright and pure soul.
"Could it be... that the dosage is insufficient?"
With some doubts in her mind, Kleinna had no choice but to take out another rose needle and stab it into Mino's left arm again!
"I'll stab you!"
"Damn it... I've told you so many times... interrogation requires prior notification, damn it, damn it, damn it..."
Mino was in so much pain again that she almost couldn't take her own life. Tears welled up in her eyes, but the pain came and went quickly. It was as if the intense toxins were accumulating in her body, but there were no aftereffects. It lingered somewhere in her soul, accompanied by a faint warm current.
The physical pain was gradually washed away by the warmth in her soul, replaced by a tingling sensation that relaxed the muscles in Mino's arms.
Not only does it not hurt.
Quite comfortable.
Blinking, Mino looked at Kletina, and began to savor the taste:
"How about some more?"
Kleidina was utterly shocked. This time, to confirm that the poison wasn't the problem, she carefully sensed it and found that the toxin from the petals was injected into the depths of Mino's soul without any loss... It was a terrifying injection method that could cause any human to lose their mind from the pain.
But the warrior before them had barely broken a sweat, compared to the last time.
What terrifying resistance and habitual tendencies!
Kleidina felt a surge of shock.
If she hadn't still been able to sense the rose's poison lingering within the hero's soul, she would have almost doubted that her Rose Needle had landed in empty air!
Mino the Brave truly lives up to his reputation as the strongest hero in human history. Seeing Mino's expression of "enjoyment" during the torture, Kletina understood one thing.
—The truly naive one is herself.
With no more thoughts of holding back, Klaitina unleashed all her Rose Needles in the next instant...
Chapter 265 Shattered! The Thirty-Seventh Layer of Protection!!!
A dozen or so magic needles fell simultaneously, aiming at various parts of Mino's body, turning him into a hedgehog.
A slightly sour, tingling, and somewhat pleasant sensation emanated from various acupoints.
Mino closed her eyes contentedly, oblivious to the strange sensations in her soul; the physical sensations alone... had already sent her straight to heaven.
He opened his eyes and vaguely realized something...
—This is just acupuncture, isn't it?!
"No, no... what's inside my soul?"
Without the distraction of pain, Mino focused her mind, closed her eyes, and quickly detected a certain throbbing in her soul.
The toxins did not stop working; rather, they were drawn to the depths of the soul, as if they were at odds with something, locked in a fierce struggle for territory!
"This...this is?!" Mino opened her eyes abruptly, her expression shocked as she realized what was happening.
"The thirty-seventh layer of protection?!"
A bright light flickered deep within the soul, drawing in the concentrated essence of the Rose Shadow Demon like moths to a flame. Faced with the onslaught of these terrifying toxins, the blessing seemed to be offended, stirring up a violent surge of power.
Amidst the fluctuations of this power, Mino finally sensed an extremely subtle yet incredibly familiar aura... that came from his long-lost elder, who was both his teacher and friend!
In an instant, Mino's eyes filled with tears:
"It's Chief Lark protecting me—!!"
He remembered clearly that on that day, when Lark finished checking the protection within his body with an excited expression, he revealed a mysterious yet incredibly reassuring smile when faced with his questioning, and even told him to go back and eat something good.
When confronted with his persistent question, "At least tell me about the effects of the thirty-seventh layer of blessing," Lak looked pleased, as if he could see the near future:
"You'll know when that day comes."
Now, he finally understands...
A deep sense of emotion welled up in Mino's heart, and the figure in her mind grew even more imposing. Had Chief Lark already foreseen this back then?!