Chapter 28: Imprisoned

“Boss… Boss…” Vaguely, Rod heard urgent calls coming from near his ear.
A sharp pain spread throughout his body, making him feel as if he were about to collapse. At that moment, Rod saw nothing but darkness—only silence and the occasional calls.
Yet now, he found his entire body stiff, unable to move even a little! All his strength seemed to have vanished in an instant.
Realizing this, Rod grew anxious inwardly. The sense of helplessness was unbearable. It felt as though his body no longer belonged to him, as if he couldn’t sense its existence at all.
Gathering every ounce of strength, he tried to move his arms again. This time, it worked—yes! After immense effort, he finally felt his hand move slightly.
“Boss! The boss is awake!” As soon as his hand moved, Rod heard Sambik’s excited shout.
“Sambik, be gentle! Damn it, do you think the boss isn’t already badly injured enough?” Came Kambi’s angry roar right after.
After his hand moved slightly, Rod finally felt the presence of his body again—the sense of solidity returning to him! Taking a deep breath, he struggled to open his eyes—only darkness ahead.
The first thing he saw was darkness. He was in a dark and damp place. Kambi, Sambik, and Jem were crouched beside him, looking at him anxiously and excitedly.
“Cough… Cough… What… where is this?” As consciousness returned, intense pain followed. Taking a sharp breath, Rod looked around at the unfamiliar surroundings and asked in confusion.
His memory stopped at the moment before he lost consciousness. It seemed he had used all his energy and fighting spirit to break through the magic cast by that damned magician, leaving him utterly exhausted. His body couldn’t take it anymore, forcing him to close his eyes.
Yes, if that was the case, he should still be inside the house. How… why is he here now? Rod racked his brain in silence.
“This is the prison of Fire City. Have you forgotten? We were also captured and brought here before!” Seeing Rod’s confused expression, Kambi said with a grim face.

“That day, after you fell into a coma, the soldiers from the city lord’s mansion happened to arrive at the scene. With the help of those strong warriors, we all…” Jem continued, forcing a helpless smile.

“What about Jerome? And the other brothers?” Rod asked urgently after a moment of silence, as if suddenly remembering something.

“Hmph, don’t mention that bastard. If I see him again, I’ll tear him apart first!” Jerome said. Sambik beside him immediately paled, his face darkening as he spoke angrily.

Seeing Sambik’s reaction, Rod turned his gaze to Cambi and Jem, hoping to get an answer.

“Jerome was released by Roger because he helped Roger plead for him that day. The other brothers were either injured or fled. Those who remained were taken in by Roger and now serve under him, loyal to the city lord’s mansion!” Cambi said in a low voice, avoiding Rod’s eyes. After speaking, he and the other two lowered their heads, not daring to look at Rod, silently waiting for the storm to break.

The atmosphere became even more tense. In the dark cell, a deathly silence reigned.

“That’s impossible! I believe him!” After a long while, Rod took a breath and spoke softly, yet his tone was firm.

“Boss…” Hearing Rod’s words, the three were stunned for a moment before looking at him in disbelief. In their imagination, Rod should have been furious upon hearing this news—how could he react like this?

“Someone’s coming!” At the same time, Jem’s eyes turned cold as he spoke solemnly to the others.

A bright light appeared, followed by the sound of footsteps approaching.

“Knight Rod, heh, I didn’t expect you to recover so quickly. You really have a strong life force!”

A moment later, Roger appeared in front of their cell. Seeing Rod awake, he was momentarily stunned before speaking in a cold tone.

“Bring him out. I must deal with this guy properly today!”

With a cold glint in his eyes, he turned to his guards and sneered.

Instantly, several tall and strong guards rushed into the cell, aiming at Rod and reaching out to grab him.

“Bastards, what do you want?” Seeing this, Jem and the others rushed forward and shouted loudly.

“Get lost!” One of the guards snarled coldly, using just one hand to throw all three of them out, then lifting Rod like a chick and bringing him before Roger.
“Roger, what do you want? I warn you—if you dare touch our boss even a little, I, Sambik, won’t spare you first!”
“Roger, you bastard! If you’ve got the guts, come at me! Don’t touch our boss!” Kambi also shouted anxiously at the sight.
How could they not know Roger’s purpose? It was obvious—since the boss had humiliated him so much, would he easily forgive him?
“Hmph, don’t worry. You all will get your turn, one by one! Take him away!” Roger glared coldly at the group, revealing a bloodthirsty smile, then casually waved his hand and strode outside. Rod, unable to resist, was dragged outside by the guards.
It wasn’t that he didn’t want to resist—it was that his body was too weak; he truly didn’t have the strength to fight at that moment.
The angry roars and Roger’s sinister laughter behind him filled Rod with resentment. Power—everything came down to power. It was all because of his own weakness; otherwise, would this have happened?
Soon, Rod was taken into a room. The lights here were bright, and the large room was filled with various torture devices, filled with a faint smell of blood. Smelling it, Rod frowned secretly.
“Hmph, Knight Rod, what’s the matter? Weren’t you so arrogant yesterday? What’s changed now? Why have you turned into a weakling? Aren’t you so tough?!”
Sitting contentedly in the highest position, Roger sneered at Rod, who couldn’t even stand.
“You… use whatever skills you have. I’ll take it all. If you’ve got the guts, kill me! Don’t give me a chance, or I’ll make you regret it for life!” Spitting out saliva, Rod raised his head and stared coldly at Roger, his gaze icy, like that of a starving wolf—bloodthirsty and merciless.
Feeling Rod’s gaze, Roger froze slightly, feeling a chill spread through his body. Shaking himself off and taking a few deep breaths, he stepped forward and kicked Rod in the stomach. “Hmph, just you? Show me that ability later! But I guess you won’t have the chance!”

Don’t worry, I won’t kill you. I’ll just make you suffer endlessly—unable to live or die. Do you think dying is that easy? Stop dreaming!”
A kick struck him, and Rod, already weak, felt the world spin around him. He couldn’t help but spit out a mouthful of blood, splashing it on Roger across from him.
“Damn you, bastard! Heh, it doesn’t matter. I don’t care. It’s just a piece of clothing—just like being licked by a dog. Hmph! I’ll make you enjoy it thoroughly, until you reach ecstasy!”
Frowning at the bright red blood on his white clothes, Roger wasn’t as angry as he had expected. After a cold snort, he turned back to his seat, glanced at Rod, then shouted at his guards, “Go ahead! Don’t hold back. Use every method possible. Make him suffer beyond measure today!”
At Roger’s command, the already weakened Rod was thrown hard to the ground. Instantly, the torture devices in the room were quickly assembled by the skilled soldiers, turning the entire place into a living execution ground. Those devices emitted a sinister, icy aura.
They awaited Roger eagerly. At that moment, Rod could only focus on him. Resentment and anger made his face turn red as he swore silently, “As long as I can get out alive, Roger, the city lord’s mansion, and even the Porter family—wait for it! I’m not done with you all!”
“Let’s start with the simplest appetizer!”
After everything was prepared, a burly man walked over to Rod, who was lying on the ground, with a cold smirk. He picked Rod up like a chick, took him to a torture rack, and tied his hands and feet, securing him there.
Snap… A crisp sound came as the burly man suddenly held a long, snake-like dark red leather whip in his hand, covered with smiling hooks. The entire whip was a dark red, as if dyed with countless drops of blood, emitting a strong scent of blood.
He shook the whip excitedly, approaching Rod with a cold smirk.
Snap… Another crisp sound, and a long, snake-like wound appeared on Rod’s body. It swelled instantly, as if alive, with blood slowly flowing out from the swollen wound.

Gritting his teeth tightly, cold sweat instantly covered his entire forehead. The intense pain made Rod grunt several times, but he didn’t cry out! He wouldn’t allow himself to scream in front of these people—never, even in death.
“Hm? Quite resilient, huh!” With a cold snort, the burly man muttered to himself after seeing Rod refuse to scream.
The whip came down again, producing a sharp sound, leaving even more horrifying wounds on Rod’s body.
Still clenching his teeth to suppress his cries, he endured the excruciating pain and glared angrily at Roger and the others, his eyes filled with resentment and fury.
“Hit him harder! Let’s see if he can still hold back!” Frowning, Roger shouted excitedly at the burly man.
Slap! Slap! Slap!… This time, there was no mercy. The burly man swung the whip continuously, giving Rod no chance to catch his breath.
The sharp sounds filled the room, sounding extremely harsh! Rod’s face turned pale, his clothes soaked with sweat and blood. Enduring the intense pain without crying out even caused him to bite his lips, blood streaming down the corners of his mouth! Wherever the whip landed, his clothes were torn to shreds, leaving him in a pitiful and miserable state.
Unbroken by such pain, Rod remained expressionless, staring fiercely at Roger without saying a word, his eyes blazing with anger. He couldn’t cry out—he couldn’t let Roger get too arrogant.
“Hmph, keep going! I don’t believe you can hold on!” Rod’s perseverance enraged Roger, making his earlier excitement vanish instantly! Especially Rod’s gaze disgusted him.
“Slap! Slap! Slap!” Moments later, the whip rained down on Rod like rain. Grunts continued, but still no screams. After what seemed like an eternity, Rod finally couldn’t bear it anymore. Feeling the heart-wrenching pain once more, he lost consciousness.
“M-My lord, he’s fainted!” Sensing Rod’s condition, the burly man stopped and stepped forward, speaking softly to Roger.
“Wake him up! Do I still need to ask?” Glaring at the burly man, Roger shouted loudly.
Woken by cold water, Rod opened his eyes and glared at the people sneering at him. A surge of intense resentment surged within him, seemingly ready to explode at any moment.
“Stop! What are you doing?” Just as Rod was on the verge of despairing and crying, a voice suddenly rang out!

“What are you doing? I bet Alice would be disgusted if she saw this scene!” With a cold snort, Kiro pushed aside the guard in front of him and walked over. Looking at Rod, who was in a miserable state—disheveled, pale, and in tattered clothes—Kiro frowned and asked in a deep voice. “Don’t forget what Alice said!” Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he continued without waiting for Rod to explain. “Hmm, true enough. Alice is extremely determined. She’ll seek revenge for having her magic broken by this guy. Well,Hmph, Knight Rod, you’re lucky this time. I’ll spare your life for now. I’m sure your cousin will enjoy dealing with you!” After a moment of thought, as if recalling something, a meaningful smile appeared on Rod’s lips. He glared fiercely at Rod before turning to the people around him and saying, “Let’s go!” They left in a hurry, leaving only Rod tied to the chair and Kiro standing there, staring at him with a solemn expression. “Cough, cough… So, did that female mage send you to find me? Hehe… Unfortunately, I have no mood to play with her now!” Rod showed no hesitation in expressing his pain as he gasped for air. Without answering Rod, Kiro walked straight up to him, untied the ropes binding him, and helped him stand up. Despite Rod’s pitiful appearance, Kiro said nothing. With a clear sound, a bottle suddenly fell to the ground in front of him! Rod was stunned for a moment, then looked at Kiro with confusion and asked, “What does this mean?” Indeed, Kiro’s actions filled Rod’s mind with questions—what was this bottle, and why did he do this? “Use it if you don’t want to die!” Kiro said, looking at Rod with a complex expression. With a complicated look, Rod picked up the golden bottle on the ground and glanced at it. “It wasn’t that female mage who sent you. She doesn’t have such kindness. Well, I, Rod, will remember this kindness. I’ll repay you when I get the chance!” “What’s owed must be repaid. I, Rod, know how to do it!”

Putting the potion in his pocket, he took a deep breath, endured the intense pain, got up, and slowly walked toward the door. He needed to return to his cell as soon as possible to rest. Of course, a bigger reason might have been not knowing how to face this unpredictable Kiro!