Chapter 8: Execution

June 7th, Year 6396, Second Arcane Era.

Iron Prison, Riverdale City, Arc Kingdom.

Around 11 A.M., In a gloomy prison cell, an 18-year-old kid was laid on the cold floor and constantly snored while disturbing the nearby prisoners. He wore a tight black shirt and pants and looked slimmer. He had short eyebrows, a fleshy nose, short deep-blue hair, and olive skin.

He was none other than John Browning, aka Charles Nightwind.

After he surrendered to the security guards, they brought him to the Iron prison and locked him inside a most secured cell. John didn’t mind their rough treatment, though. The security officer Noah even gave him some dry bread and told him to enjoy his last night in the gloomy cold prison.

While he was snorting in the Iron prison, the whole city, filled with 60,000 people, was shocked by John’s cruel action! There was not even a single incident like this occurred in Riverdale City during the past two decades!

The honorable City Lord, Ethan Walker, was deeply saddened by Charles Miller’s action and announced the Riverdale City that he would personally execute him for his crimes on June 8th Morning at the Execution Platform!

The whole town began to gossip about what had happened in El Street. The neighboring citizens even exaggerated the whole incident and gave him the title of ‘Serial Killer.’

Some even stated that he colluded with Wicked Church’s followers and killed those 14 citizens to do a blood sacrificial ceremony.

Unaware of those gossips, John rested for another 4 hours and then woke up by the neighboring prisoners’ shouting.

He let out a groan and noticed that his muscles were aching severely.

‘Damn, my muscles are aching like hell.’ He glanced around the gloomy prison cell and clicked his tongue.

‘I already chose the Apprentice Fire Mage Class. Now, I need tons of experience points to level up and also to buy those spell models. The best way to grow quicker is by becoming an Explorer. But that will put Charles’s mother Eve in danger…For now, I will stay in this Riverdale City and gather more information about this magical world. One thing that worries me is the Nightwind family. I have limited information about them.’ He shook his head and then shifted his attention to the interface.

‘I still have 196 Exp remaining.’ He thought for a moment and then assigned 150 Exp to Apprentice Fire Mage Class.

…

[150 Exp deduced from the Host.]

[You have leveled up!]

[You became a Level 2 Apprentice Fire Mage!]

[2 Free Attribute point rewarded!]

[+1 Wisdom obtained!]

[10 skill points rewarded]

…

‘Heh, 2 free attribute points, huh. Should I add it to my Wisdom attribute? Nah, It won’t help me in this current situation. I should use these points and increase my Dexterity and Strength. Once I increase my body to a certain level, I will put all the free attributes to wisdom. Moreover, whenever I level up the Main Class, the system itself giving me an extra wisdom attribute.’ Muttering to himself, he added one free attribute to Dexterity and another free attribute point to Strength.

After that, he added 10 skill points to [Inspect] skill.

[Name: Charles Nightwind

Race: Human

Rank: 1 (Common)

Class: Level 2 Apprentice Fire Mage (0/225)

Sub-class: Level 3 Trickster (0/337)

Title: Serial Killer (- 20 Percent favourability of Riverdale Citizens)

Health Points: 71/71

Exp: 46

Attributes:

Strength- 10+1= 11

Dexterity- 11+1= 12

Constitution- 11

Wisdom-12+1 = 13

Charisma- 12

SP (Skill Points): 0

AP (Attribute points): 0

Class spells:

Fire Wings

Sub-class skills:

Trickster’s hand- 20

Clown- 20

Sixth Sense- 50

Unique skills:

Snatch-51

Conceal- 50

Dark Vision- 44

Intermediate Dagger Arts- 50

Inspect- 40]

‘I’m a Serial Killer, huh.’ John shook his head and shifted his gaze towards the attributes.

‘I can feel it! I’m growing stronger! My muscles are strengthening by some mystic force.’ His jade eyes shone in the gloomy prison.

‘With my current wisdom, I can cast two magic spells.’ He sat up with a cold look on his face.

‘This body is too weak. I will try and see if I can increase my strength by exercising.’ He nodded his head inwardly and began to do push-ups, sit-ups, and squats.

His weird action got noticed by the jail warden, but the warden didn’t say anything. He felt this kid might have lost his rationality and shrugged it off.

After he exhausted himself, John sat on the cold prison cell and read Charles’s remnant memories.

The next morning, a squad of well-equipped soldiers in brown uniform led by the security captain Noah entered his cell and cuffed his hand using a handcuff. After that, they pushed him out of the prison cell and led him out of the Iron Prison near the City Lord’s mansion. The squad then stood behind him and ordered him to walk in the front. Shaking his head, John did as those soldiers told him and started walking on the dirt road.

Soon, he reached the main road and saw tens of thousands of citizens were looking in his direction.

Today, Riverdale City was filled with furious shouts and slogans. Thousands of citizens stood on the street side and waited for the criminal to pass through the main street.

Within a day, John became a monster who reaped more than 200 lives in this world. The citizens exaggerated the rumors and made him a famous killer. Some even claimed that they had seen him killing slum citizens during the past two years and reported it to the security office multiple times.

‘Someone is definitely fueling the fire. But for what purpose?’ A grim look appeared on his face.

As John walked on the main street, the Riverdale citizens threw stones, slippers, rotten fruits, and many other things at him while cursing vulgarly.

Upon hearing those curses and shouts, he felt amused inside.

‘What a bunch of fools.’ He shook his head and walked leisurely towards the elevated Execution platform.

Ethan Walker stood with a solemn face on the execution platform and held a broad sword in his right hand. His face was rough and a little old, seemingly in his forties, and he wore a black surcoat. He had short black hair, rounded eyebrows, amber eyes, and a shadow nose bridge.

Curling his lips upward, John silently walked on the straight staircase and reached the execution platform.

Seeing the target was going to be executed, Noah, the security captain, grinned inwardly and yanked John from behind.

Due to the sudden attack, John lost his balance and stumbled in front of tens of thousands of people.

But he didn’t fall, though. Instead, he made a strange dancing movement, regained his balance, and started stretching limbs.

At that moment, a mischievous smile appeared on his face.

He raised his cuffed hands, extended them wide, like breaking the chains, and made a clanging noise using his mouth.

To others’ astonishment, his hands became freed from the cuff!

No! There was no cuff in his hand at all!

  It was a small trick he learned from one of his colleagues!

The whole crowd became stunned by his performance!

John then nodded his head and thrust out his hands like a showman revealing the grand treasure!

The citizens looked confused for a second and soon widened their eyes.

Even Ethan Walker became baffled by the sudden change and peeked at the grand prize area.

Everyone saw that a black-haired officer in his brown uniform looked at his own cuffed hands in confusion and puzzlement!

The next instant, John waved his hand towards the dumbfounded crowd and plain kissed those audiences like a real trickster.

He then turned his gaze towards the handcuffed officer and greeted him with a grin.

“Hello, Mr. Shadower.”

[100 Exp rewarded for finding the informer!]

John’s grin widened as he saw the notification and nodded pleasantly.

He was suspicious of Noah as he saw him at Life Church entrance.

“H-How?!- What nonsense are you spouting?” Noah flustered for a second and then argued angrily.

“Hehe, stubborn, aren’t you?” John chuckled and then walked near to Noah. Meanwhile, Ethan Walker frowned a little and was about to intervene but stopped.

At that moment, he heard a familiar voice in his head.

‘Telepathy?’

His eyes swept past the large crowd and soon landed on the white-robed elderly man.

The next instant, a surprise flashed on his face.

‘Bishop Reynolds, why are you stopping me?’ He asked coldly in his mind.

‘Don’t intervene. Watch the good show, Ethan.’ Reynolds replied calmly and turned his attention towards John.

Under the watchful eyes of tens of thousands of citizens, John gripped Noah’s collar and dragged him towards the front.

He then yanked his knee and made him kneel on the execution platform. After that, he unsheathed Noah’s long sword from his waist and placed it above Noah’s nape. At that moment, everyone who stood near John felt a chilling sensation.

Even Ethan was startled by John’s bloodlust and became surprised.

‘A killer! Only a guy who killed hundreds of peoples would give this type of aura.’ He was astonished.

“Are you the one who peeked at my house during the assassination?” John asked in an icy voice.

Meanwhile, Noah got frightened by the sudden change and then looked at the City Lord for help.

But to his worst luck, the City Lord stood there watching his reaction with an indifferent gaze.

‘What the hell?!’ Noah went pale as he saw the City Lord’s reaction and shouted in a hurry.

“W-Wait! I’m not your enemy. I’m just an informer!”

John was pleased by his response and continued to ask.

“Who is your employer, then?”

Upon hearing John’s question, Noah trembled all over and replied while gritting his teeth.

“I don’t know his name. But he is from the royal capital. He might be one of the Royal Mages.” Noah’s words surprised him.

‘A mage, huh? Troublesome, indeed.’ He clicked his tongue while raising his hand upward and slashed the long sword at Noah’s neck.

Before others could blink their eyes, the long sword left a trail of blurring images and cut Noah’s head neatly!

Noah’s head detached from the body and rolled on the execution platform with wide opened green eyes while spraying scarlet blood everywhere.

[Target Eliminated! 21 Battle Exp Obtained!]

Even Ethan became shocked by John’s decisiveness and then gripped his broadsword in anger.

Meanwhile, tens of thousands of citizens screamed in shock!

Nobody, including Bishop Reynolds, expected John’s decisiveness and became stunned.

“WHY DID YOU KILL HIM?” Ethan pointed his broadsword at him and bellowed in anger.

Wiping the scarlet blood from his face, John turned his cold gaze towards Ethan and asked in a deep tone,

“Mr. Ethan Walker, I will ask you a single question. Answer me properly. Is your city safer for a commoner to stay?”

“YOU! ARROGANT BRAT! WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?! YOU, A FILTHY COMMONER, DARE TO CALL ME, A DIGNIFIED NOBLE, WITHOUT ANY RESPECT? ATROCIOUS! I SHALL EXECUTE YOU AND CLEAN THIS ARROGANT BEHAVIOR WITH YOUR OWN BLOOD!” Ethan bellowed violently and sprinted towards John at a fast speed!

‘Wow, this guy sure is from a noble family. Well, I should use this as an opportunity and get something.’

John let out a chuckle and snapped his finger. A heartbeat later, two scorching crimson wings appeared behind him, sending heat waves in every direction.

John felt those fire wings were like his own and flapped forcefully with his thoughts.

Before Evans’s broadsword could pierce through his body, he flew up in the sky and looked down at everyone with cold eyes.

‘It’s time for acting.’ The corner of his lips went upward.

For a second, nobody moved an inch!

Even Ethan became shocked by the sudden change of scene and became unsettled.

Although he was a dignified noble, his title wasn’t worthy in front of an apprentice mage’s title. If kingdom Royalty or Sun Church found out about this incident, it would become too troublesome for him. He would even become an enemy of the Sun Church in the future.

Fire Mages were Sun Church’s pillars and precious treasures!

“Now, I will ask you once again, Ethan Walker. Is your city safe for a commoner to stay?”

Hearing the domineering voice from the sky, Ethan narrowed his eyes and nodded.

“My city is safer.”

“Is that so? But my mom and I were kidnapped two days ago in this same Riverdale city. Before the kidnapping incident, my mom even asked your security office for protection. But not only your irresponsible lackeys denied her request; they even called her delusional. Because of your lackeys’ ignorance, my mother is still lying bedridden in the Life Church. If not for our Honorable Bishop Reynolds’s precious ‘1000 gold coin Life Potion’, I would have lost my mother today.”

Hearing his words, Bishop Reynolds almost coughed up a mouthful of blood!

‘500! I gave that potion for only 500 gold coins! Why did you double it?! F*ck! I can’t even refute now. Over! My reputation is all over!’ He glared at the damned Charles and sighed heavily.

Simultaneously, Bishop Reynolds felt glares from every direction and became flustered.

Meanwhile, John looked at Ethan with a void of emotions and spoke indifferently,

“But the show didn’t end there. When I went back to my home to get the money, some sneaky black-cloaked assassins entered my house and tried to assassinate me. To defend this poor me from being kidnapped again, I have no choice but to kill those assassins. I acted out of self-defense. But your security officer yanked me in front of the Life Church entrance and humiliated me! He arrested me, an innocent citizen, for killing a bunch of assassins. And you, a dignified Noble, agreed to his suggestion to execute me and organized an execution ceremony like a dumb fool. Pathetic.” His cold voice echoed through the whole city while he had an amplifier. Even John became surprised by his own speech and went with a flow.

The whole platform went dead silent!

After a whole minute of silence, Ethan looked up at the crimson winged human and asked coldly,

“What do you want?”

A cunning smile appeared on John’s face.

“Because of your men’s fault, I lost 1,000 Gold coins. So, you have to compensate me. I’m a noble and forgiving person. You guys put me in jail and were about to execute me. If I was a normal classless man, I would be lying there instead of Noah. You guys ruined my dazzling, handsome fac-“

“What do you want?” With a gloomy look on his face, Ethan glared at John and asked impatiently.

“I want information.” John flapped his wings slowly as he landed on the execution platform and spoke in a solemn tone,

“I want information about past histories, important places, important artifacts, and other important incidents.”

‘Although most of them would be common knowledge, it should be enough for me to understand more about this world. If I ask this guy in secret, there is no way he would agree to it. I wouldn’t be surprised if he tries to kill me. But now, he has to think twice… Nobles cares for reputation and honor after all. So, I will be safe for the next few days. That is more than enough for me.’ He thought inwardly.