Liberation of Luminari (2)

‘I’ll turn you into a bloody pulp right now!’

The overseer roughly yanked his club.

But—

‘H-huh?’

The club that Ian was holding didn’t budge an inch, as if it were wedged into a rock crevice.

‘W-what…?’

He hadn’t yanked it with his full strength, but he had put in a fair amount of effort.

Yet it didn’t move at all, not even a twitch.

“H-ugh!?”

The overseer gritted his teeth and pulled even harder on the club.

But still.

‘W-what is this!’

This time, he pulled so hard that his palm stung.

But Ian’s grip on the club didn’t loosen in the slightest, nor did it get any weaker.

― CRAAACK!

Just then, Ian tightened his grip even further.

― SNAP! CRUNCH!

“W-what!”

The club, famed for being as tough as ironwood and sheathed with thick, durable cowhide…!

― SPLIT! CRUNCH!!

Right before the overseer’s eyes, it was utterly crushed and smashed into pieces by nothing but sheer grip strength.

“H-holy—!”

A shocking show of strength bursting out right before his eyes.

The overseer was so startled, he dropped the broken club and stumbled backwards.

Even for a big brute, he was just a slave—just how strong could he possibly be? Truth be told, the overseer had underestimated him.

But to think this solid club could be shattered with one hand…

‘C-crazy! He’s a total monster! Just what the hell did the slavers sell us!? How are we supposed to control someone like this!?’

The overseer instinctively realized.

Ian was never someone he could handle on his own.

“K-krgh!”

Still, he had some dignity to maintain—he couldn’t just run away like this.

So—

“Y-you! I’ve memorized your face!”

He pointed a trembling finger at Ian and shouted.

But his legs were already running away for him.

And so, in a ridiculous backward scramble, the overseer fled the cave.

“Y-young man!”

The elderly man behind Ian hurried up and checked on him.

“Are you all right?”

“I’m fine.”

“Let me see your hand!”

The old man was worried about Ian’s hand, which had crushed the club bare-handed.

Ian opened his hand to show him.

“It’s all right.”

“Oh my.”

The old man examined Ian’s palm with awe.

“Your hand is like solid stone. Not a thorn stuck, not a scratch made.”

But his face remained grim.

“I’m sorry, young man. It’s my fault for bringing attention to you…”

“You have nothing to apologize for, sir.”

“But that man just now… His pride is high and his heart is foul. He’ll never let this go. Whether tonight or tomorrow morning, he’ll surely come back to cause trouble. And next time, he won’t be alone. He’ll bring all his friends.”

The old man anxiously wrung his hands.

Ian comforted him with a reassuring pat on his shoulder.

“It’ll be fine. Nothing will happen.”

“But…”

“There’s a way.”

“A way?”

“Yes.”

Ian didn’t bother to explain further.

* * *

Late that night.

“Hey! Number 1784!”

Ian’s slave number.

“Come with me, now!”

Just as the old man had said.

The overseer he’d clashed with earlier had returned.

Following meekly, Ian was led to a shadowy corner of the ruins’ corridors.

There were about four other demonic humans gathered there.

It looked like he’d brought his friends to gang up on Ian.

Again, exactly as the old man had predicted.

“You muscle-bound freak! You’re dead now!”

The overseers quickly surrounded Ian.

Each wore a wicked grin.

Every one of them held either a club or a dagger.

“…”

As Ian calmly looked around at them, the overseer sneered in a nasty voice.

“What, you scared now that we have numbers? Just a while ago, you thought I was easy, didn’t you?”

The overseer waved a blue dagger right in front of Ian’s face.

“Gonna act cocky again? Come on, crush it with your bare hands like before.”

― Hehehe!

The other demonic humans joined in with nasty laughter.

“Let’s slice his hand tendons so he’ll never get cocky again. Only good enough to swing a pickaxe from now on.”

“We’ll do his ankles, too. Leave him limping for life.”

“Maybe gouge out an eye?”

“Let’s knock out all his teeth, too. Starve him so he’ll break.”

They seemed desperate to see Ian cower in terror.

“…”

“Not answering? This bastard’s still defiant?”

― SLAP!

The overseer slashed Ian’s cheek with the sharp blade.

A long red wound should have opened and blood should have streamed down Ian’s cheek…

“Huh?”

But nothing happened.

Ian’s cheek remained as smooth as ever.

“W-what?”

The overseer frowned in disbelief.

He had put some force into it.

And he’d sharpened the blade right before coming here—it was sharp enough to shave with.

“W-what!?”

Even solid stone can be scratched if you press hard enough with a knife.

But Ian’s cheek didn’t show so much as a nick.

‘W-what is this…?’

Of course.

Ian’s body, reinforced with countless elixirs and massive aura, was at the threshold of transcending the limits of a demi-god.

There was no way a cheap iron dagger could pierce it.

“Ha.”

Ian let out a snort.

“You’re in luck.”

“What?”

From Ian’s perspective, this was like a feast being delivered to his table.

Thanks to these demonic humans, his plan was about to get a whole lot easier.

No one else was around, and there were no surveillance devices here.

It was also a good place to deploy a barrier that blocked screams.

And, there were five demonic humans surely brimming with information about this place.

Ian had everything he needed.

All he had to do was swallow up this situation as easily as eating a piece of cake.

“Y-you bastard…”

As Ian snorted, the overseer’s face flushed, grinding his teeth.

He’d brought his friends to intimidate Ian, only to be mocked.

“Fine… Let’s see how long you keep that grin!”

Furious, the overseer thrust his blade at Ian’s eye.

“Let’s see if you’re still smiling with an eye gouged out!”

― SWISH!

But.

The expected scream and sound of flesh tearing never came.

― CLAAAAAAAAANG!!

Instead, the air rang with an ear-splitting metallic screech.

“Wh-what!?”

Sparks flew where the blade struck Ian’s eye.

“W-what is this!?”

No blood—just sparks?

The blade didn’t pierce, it just bounced off.

Was this guy’s body made of steel?

“Huh…?”

“W-what was that?”

The other demonic humans around the overseer were similarly frozen.

Ian’s brows narrowed.

“This is pathetic.”

“G-get him! Hit him, now!”

The flustered overseer barked his order.

“Kill him! Bash his head in!”

The demonic humans rushed Ian with their clubs and daggers raised.

― CHING! CLANG! CRAASH!

But the moment anything touched Ian’s body, only sparks flew.

The only thing they managed to shred was the tattered edge of his clothes.

“W-what is this?!”

“M-monster…!”

― THWACK!

Ian’s fist crashed squarely into one of the demonic human’s face.

“Argh!”

Nose bones caved in, the whole face collapsing inward.

“Eek!”

Next prey, the one trying to flee.

Ian swiftly grabbed him by the scruff of his neck.

“Urgh!”

― CRACK!

“Gwoooaaargh!”

With effortless strength, Ian twisted the man’s neck with a satisfying snap.

He flung him against the wall.

― SLAM!

He slumped unconscious, embedded in the wall.

That made two down.

Three demonic humans left.

“Th-this can’t be…”

“A monster…! He’s a monster!”

Terrified, the remaining overseers trembled as they tried to back away.

But it was already too late.

― POW! SMACK! THUD!

Ian’s fists and kicks dropped the demonic humans one by one.

An overwhelming difference in strength.

No, it was so one-sided, it was almost embarrassing to call it a fight.

To Ian, they were as easy to handle as ragdolls.

“Waaaargh!”

― CRUNCH!

“S-save me!”

― CRACK!

With screams and the sound of bones breaking, the demonic humans slumped to the ground, one after another.

And then.

“H-hiiiii!”

Only one demon human remained—the overseer who had instigated this whole incident.

He pressed against the wall, shaking.

Soon, his legs gave out and he slumped.

“S-stay away! Don’t come!”

Fumbling desperately, the overseer searched inside his clothes.

“Damn, damn…!!”

His hand closed around something.

― WHIIIIR!

A palm-sized rod-shaped artifact.

Complex magic arrays stamped into its tip.

‘I should have used this from the start…! Damn it!’

The overseer cursed himself.

He didn’t know what the guy really was, or how he’d hidden that power, but if he was Luminari—

This artifact would be enough.

“You bastard!!”

The overseer activated the artifact.

― WWWUUUUUNG!

The tip of the rod glowed red.

A demon artifact for subduing the Luminari.

Designed to forcibly overheat the jewel in the forehead and inflict excruciating pain.

An absolute shackle no Luminari could resist.

― WUUUUUUNG!

The artifact hummed loudly.

At the same time, Ian—who had been moving toward him—stopped walking.

“Heh heh heh!”

A trembling grin spread across the overseer’s face.

“How does it feel? Like your forehead’s about to explode? Do you understand now? No matter what you do, we can crush you Luminari any time—”

But—

“Huh?”

Something was off.

“…”

Ian had merely paused his step.

He didn’t writhe in pain, or move an inch.

“Wh-what…?”

This artifact usually made Luminari collapse on the spot screaming, even losing control of their bowels.

Flustered, the overseer shook the artifact.

― WUUUNG! WUUUUUNG!

He activated it even more strongly.

But Ian simply stood there, unmoved.

“W-what is this…!”

“Ha.”

Of course, it wasn’t having no effect at all.

Ian actually felt a severe headache from the artifact.

Even though he was wearing the appearance crafted by the Authority of Projection, the jewel embedded in his forehead was a genuine Luminari core.

But for subduing someone at Ian’s peak-stage Grandmaster rank, this artifact was woefully insufficient.

“Ha.”

Ian raised his hand and wiped his forehead.

― Swish.

The jewel faded away as if melting, like a droplet of water.

At the same time, the throbbing headache instantly disappeared.

“W-what!?”

The overseer’s eyes nearly popped out.

“That’s impossible…!”

The forehead jewel vanished!? He’s not Luminari!?

“What, what are you!?”

Ian began stepping closer again.

“W-wait! W-wait! Please! I beg you, ah, aaagh!”

― WUM!

Ian opened a subspace.

What he drew from it was the demon sword Jinggela.

“A-a subspace! N-no way!”

The bent, multi-colored blade materialized like a bolt of lightning, and the overseer’s face turned deadly pale.

“Y-you… No, who are you…!”

Ian slowly raised Jinggela.

Colorful light lit up along the sword’s body.

“P-please! M-mercy! Aaaagh!”

― SHUNK!

“Ugh…!”

He drove Jinggela into the man’s forehead, the overseer’s eyes flipping back as he convulsed.

“Ggghrk!”

Mind control.

Ian buried his orders deep into the overseer’s psyche.

‘You are my minion, my trusted subordinate. Obey my orders without question. Never reveal my identity to anyone.’

Once the imprint was complete, the overseer’s eyes changed.

His rolled-back eyes gradually returned to normal and regarded Ian with worshipful awe.

‘Perfect.’

Ian nodded in satisfaction.

If he controlled the minds of the other unconscious demonic humans nearby, he’d have five spies secured.

‘At this rate, I’ll turn the overseers one by one.’

It wouldn’t even take a few days.

Soon, everything in this excavation site would be under Ian’s control.

It would make gathering intelligence, procuring needed supplies, and ensuring the safety of the Luminari much easier.

“…”

Once the mind control was finished, Ian looked down at the demonic humans now kneeling before him.

“Rise.”

“Yes… master.”

All five of them bowed their heads as they stood.

Completely brainwashed.

A faint smile curled Ian’s lips.

The plan was proceeding smoothly.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep