Chapter 11: The Terrifying EMP – Section 9

At the same time as the Speaker summoned the leader of theThe scavengers, Jinli, in the resting room for the Death Gladiators…
“Don’t you think you should say something to me?” Blood-Pupil said, frowning.
It was a combat room. As a resting place for the gladiators, it was clearly a bit too small. But for Blood-Pupil and Black Hair, it wasn’t a problem at all. Whether it was a luxurious hotel or a simple hut, it probably made no difference—because they didn’t care at all.
“What to say?” Black Hair slouched lazily on the only sofa in the room, exhaling smoke. His eyes, fixed on the drifting smoke, were filled with despair.
“What to say? Of course, it’s about your behavior lately. Your actions are completely abnormal. Ever since you woke up, your behavior has become wildly erratic. First, you defeated Lily and turned her into your plaything. Then today, you went on a massacre, killing dozens of innocent spectators casually. This isn’t like you at all!”
“What is my style then?” Black Hair sneered disdainfully. “Innocent? Which pirate isn’t covered in blood? You call them innocent?”
“Even so, you wouldn’t have killed them casually before,” Blood-Pupil snorted coldly. “At most, you’d give them a lesson. Don’t deceive me—you’re not that heartless.”
“Ha, ha… Heartless?” As if hearing the funniest joke, Black Hair suddenly burst into hysterical laughter. “Not heartless? Stop joking. How much do you really know about me? Is this really called heartlessness? It’s laughable!”
“You know what heartlessness is. Just killing a few pirates makes me heartless? What about destroying an entire planet with my own hands, slaughtering all the creatures on it? What about turning a whole country to dust, reducing all living beings to bloody pieces of flesh? Blood-Pupil, have you ever seen creatures die from nuclear weapons or poison gas? Have you ever seen an area of a hundred miles with no people, only corpses everywhere? Have you ever seen children whose eyes and arms have melted from the poison gas, yet still crying for their mothers?”
The more Black Hair spoke, the more agitated he became, until he started coughing from the smoke.
“Cough… If you’ve never seen any of this, then don’t talk to me about heartlessness.”

For a moment, the entire room was filled with Black Hair’s insane, almost neurotic laughter. The madness in that laughter made even Blood Pupil, a killer, shudder. Through Black Hair’s cruel words, it seemed as though he were witnessing scenes of city destruction—land torn apart, skies burned. Corpses scattered everywhere, along with children crying for their mothers. For a while, everyone was stunned…

After a long time, he cautiously asked, “Have you… experienced all of this?”

“Of course I have… How could I not have…” Black Hair stopped coughing, lying tiredly in the armchair with his eyes closed.

“My past is beyond your imagination, Blood Pupil. My blood has long since turned cold. My soul was sold to the devil long ago. The person you see before you now is just a shell—a shell without any meaning.”

“Do you know why I enjoy killing? Because only when my hands are stained with blood do I feel comfort, and it reminds me of the past. That strong scent of blood is like the finest wine in the world, intoxicating me.” Black Hair took a deep breath, as if sensing that fragrance.

Feeling as if he could understand what Black Hair was experiencing, Blood Pupil shuddered, a cold sensation rising from deep within. It seemed no longer like a human stood before him, but a beast with bared fangs, still dripping with fresh flesh.

“No… this is too insane…” With a low moan, Blood Pupil closed his eyes.

“Head… were you like this before? Then… why…?”

Hearing this question, Black Hair was stunned for a moment, remaining silent for a long time before letting out a helpless sigh.

“The government’s incompetence.”

“I’ve had enough of empty protests and dry condemnations. Officials who are only cruel to their own people but full of empty words to others. I knew I had to use my own methods to do what needed to be done. Fortunately, I’m not the only one who thinks this way, nor the only one with such foolish impulses. That’s why I became the thug everyone talks about, a scum with many accomplices. A scoundrel in the eyes of officials, a menace to society.”

“What about them? Your companions?” Blood Pupil’s eyes lit up. He had a premonition that perhaps Black Hair’s pain lay in this very question.

Sure enough, upon hearing this question, the black-haired man’s eyes lit up instantly. But they soon dimmed again.
“They’re all dead…”
“They didn’t want me and my companions to survive. Even though we seized one colony planet after another for them and wiped out race after race, the more we did this, the more afraid they became. Because it threatened their rule. They wanted all their people to be as docile as pigs. Yes, like pigs. That way, they could comfortably act as pigherders. Haven’t you heard of the policy of keeping the masses ignorant? This is the cruel reality.”
“No dissent was allowed.”
“That’s why, when we tried to steal a core technology for them, my companions and I were betrayed. They died to cover for me. I survived so I could return that technology. The outcome was simple: I not only returned it but also gave my life in return.”
“Your life!?” Blood-Eyed man’s eyes widened in shock. “So now you’re…”
“A replacement. Have you heard of cloning?” The black-haired man sneered.
Though he had never heard of cloning, Blood-Eyed man could still sense the despair in his words. For a moment, that despair seemed like an infectious disease, wrapping around his heart. The chilling feeling intensified.
“Too bad… Even this backdoor I left for myself was taken advantage of. They used my girlfriend to threaten me, forcing me to become their test subject.”
“What happened after that?” Blood-Eyed man asked urgently.
“After that? I compromised. But I still underestimated their tactics. After getting all the data they wanted from me, and under pressure from international public opinion and major powers, they handed me over. I became a plaything for another country, under the guise of serving the greater good. Before falling into a final slumber, I saw my girlfriend lying in another containment unit.”
“This is reality. The reality that drives me mad. Haha, how funny!! Hahahahaha…” The black-haired man suddenly burst into laughter, grabbing the wine bottle beside him.
“Come on, Blood-Eyed man, let’s toast to this reality!”
With that, he tilted his head back and downed the whole bottle. The bright red wine streamed down his cheeks like a winding river of blood—a horrifying sight.

“Don’t… ah…” Blood-Pupils was completely limp. Black-Hair’s words were like a curse, tightly gripping his heart, twisting and pulling at it with force. Even just observing, he felt immense pain. His heart was heavy, and he almost wanted to shout to vent his frustration. For a moment, he even felt an urge to see blood.
He understood now—everything was clear.
With such an experience, how could he possibly think like a normal person? It was already quite good that he hadn’t gone mad yet. All that cruelty and coldness stemmed from this mindset. Perhaps for him, only killing could restore his old feelings.
Or maybe it was a longing for death.
“I pity him,” Blood-Pupils said to himself. Watching Black-Hair, who was drunk before his eyes, he suddenly realized he had never truly understood him.
In silence, the night grew deeper. Black-Hair’s snoring gradually began, slow and rhythmic. Blood-Pupils sighed inwardly and turned to leave the room.
Just as he closed the door, he suddenly noticed two figures standing quietly in the shadows of the corridor.
Niji? Ran?
“What are you doing here?” Blood-Pupils asked in surprise.
“We have no way out. If we don’t stay with you, we’ll be killed by those pirates who lost their money,” Niji, as the elder brother, said with a bitter smile. “So I can only stay here, hoping he’ll take us in.”
“I see…” Blood-Pupils nodded. “Then there’s no need to wait here. Go back. I’ll talk to him tomorrow.”
“Thank you very much, Mr. Blood-Pupils,” Niji said respectfully, bowing slightly. “Please help us.” With that, the two left.
Watching their backs, Blood-Pupils curled his lips slightly.
Saviors? Or death gods? It’s hard to say… He glanced at the door behind him. Well, since he was sleeping so soundly, even if assassins came, they probably wouldn’t notice. He had offended so many pirates during the day. It would be better to stay and watch over him all night.
With that thought, Blood-Pupils’s figure gradually disappeared into the surrounding darkness…
The next day.
Early in the morning, the arena was already packed. Although yesterday’s unpleasantness had left every pirate dissatisfied, a death duel was still a major event for them. Brutal fighters had appeared before, so everyone unconsciously forgot their annoyance. Yet the way they looked at Black-Hair had changed.

In fact, not only the audience but even the other contestants changed the way they looked at Black Hair, as if they were staring at a dead person. Wherever Black Hair and Blood Eyes passed, everyone stepped back, clearing a wide path for them from afar. People whispered among themselves in hushed tones, pointing and gossiping—creating a bizarre atmosphere.

“Boss, something seems off. They seem to be talking about us,” Blood Eyes frowned and turned to Black Hair beside him.

After a night’s rest, Black Hair was back in top form, devoid of any sign of weakness. Even with his eyes closed, a cold glint could be seen. Without any effort, a murderous aura emanated from him.

“I’ve seen it,” Black Hair said, lowering his head as he examined his clothes. “It seems fine.”

“How can it be fine? This situation is too strange. Boss, be extra careful during the fight. I have a feeling there’s some trap waiting for you,” Blood Eyes shook his head in disagreement, his voice filled with concern.

By then, the group had reached the contestant stands. As they entered, almost all the contestants stood up immediately. Their gazes toward them were hostile, with some even blatantly showing them the middle finger.

“Hey, the butcher’s here…”

“Haha, I wonder how many spectators the butcher plans to kill today? Let’s make a bet, guys.”

“Damn it, you’re Black Hair, right? Today, I’m gonna break your limbs and shove your head up your ass!”

The whispered discussions gradually turned into outright provocations. All the contestants scheduled to fight that day showed their brutal side. Every time they looked at Black Hair, it was as if they were sizing up prey.

At the same time, a small pirate sent by Jinli approached Black Hair and whispered in his ear.

“Mr. Black Hair, Chief Jinli asks me to tell you that what you did yesterday was excessive. Some pirate chiefs dissatisfied with you have decided to teach you a lesson in today’s battle. The chief asks me to warn you to be careful.”

“I understand,” Black Hair nodded casually. Turning around to face all the pirates with hostile expressions, he suddenly grinned, revealing his sharp teeth.

“Animals are just animals. They only know how to howl, never realizing how many hunting knives the hunter has prepared. Maybe they’ll realize how pitiful they are once they lie on the chopping board.”

“What! Kid, say that again!!” Hearing the merciless sarcasm from the black-haired man, seven or eight burly men immediately stood up. Roaring loudly, they tried to approach him.
“It doesn’t matter how many times I say it. Or do you want to start a fight here? I’d be very happy about that.” The black-haired man chuckled softly, suddenly reaching out to grab the neck of the man closest to him and lifting him high. That man, who was nearly two meters tall with a massive build like a bear, seemed powerless in the black-haired man’s hands, like a chick. In an instant, fear appeared in his eyes.
“Well, are you interested in my suggestion?” The black-haired man narrowed his eyes and asked provocatively.
“…” The burly man didn’t answer, only shaking his head repeatedly. He struggled desperately with his feet, but for some reason, it seemed as though the black-haired man had some terrifying magic that left him completely powerless.
The noises around also suddenly ceased, leaving the scene eerily quiet. After a long while, the black-haired man disdainfully curled his lips before throwing the burly man away violently.
“Such boredom… Are they all good at talking only?”
Before the black-haired man could finish speaking, low laughter suddenly came from the corner. “Hehe, you’ll find out soon whether you’re just good at talking.”
“Huh!?” The black-haired man turned his head and immediately saw the source of the laughter.
A thin man, as dry as a stick…