Extra's Path To Demon King-Chapter 61: Two Sides of The Same Coin..

The man looked at those crimson red eyes, boundless terror invaded his mind, and he didn’t answer the unknown son of his. No, he couldn’t answer, not with that mighty power pressing down on him like a damn mountain.

Not getting any answer, Axel revealed with a smile, "I wonder how your expression will be when I kill your family, right in front of your very eyes. At least that much should be fair, right?"

His father’s expression finally changed as he roared like a madman at that statement, "DON’T YOU FUCKING TOUCH MY FAMILY!!!!"

"ANYTHING BUT MY FAMILY, ANYTHING...." the man pleaded with utmost desperation.

But Axel laughed, hearing that pleading desperation, "Hoooo-HAHAHAHAHA-haaaa..."

He laughed like it was the biggest joke ever; he loved seeing that feeling of desperation, despair, and anger on the man’s face. The very man who was perhaps the one most responsible for his mother’s misery. He didn’t care about himself that much; he was Axel Nomrad, not Ashborn.

He had such an urge to do exactly as he said, slaughter the man’s entire family, right in front of his eyes. But that was a line he was unwilling to cross, no matter how sweet the taste of his revenge may be.

Axel brought out something like a rope from his space ring, The man dropped to the floor as he commanded the mana to let him go; the merchant gasped for breath. He threw the rope on his face, looking down on the groveling father of his, he commanded,

"KILL YOURSELF AND LET YOUR FAMILY LIVE, OR WATCH YOUR FAMILY DIE, AS YOU GET TO LIVE."

"THE CHOICE IS YOURS, MY DEAR FATHER," announced Axel while gazing from above.

The man’s gaze became empty. Hearing that, he stared at the rope, countless memories and thoughts flashed through his eyes, and he picked up the rope. Tied it to something high enough slowly, with a sad and empty expression on his face.

Tears started flowing from the man’s eyes, despite his crimes, unlike most noblemen and many rich people, he loved his family; he loved them far more than his life. Before hanging himself on the rope, he asked resolutely,

"My family will be targeted after my death, you must promise their safety, ’Ashborn’."

"Blame me for your sufferings, but not them, they are innocent. They must be safe, Promise me!!"

He pleaded, looking at his expressionless son. Axel also looked at the man and stated, "I promise..."

The man showed a smile and, without further ado, hanged himself on the rope. He struggled madly for a few moments, until he was finally dead. But there was a strange smile on the man’s face. Even in his death.

Axel did not feel the sweet satisfaction he desired, looking at the slight smile of his deceased father. His mind was in turmoil. He felt strangely empty but complex at the same time, as if there was an itch in his very heart that he wasn’t able to scratch.

He sighed and went out. Through a messenger bird, he sent a message with a small ring in it, and sent it to one of the high nobles. The emblem had the symbol of the runic tower in it. He basically instructed a certain high noble to protect merchant Han’s family and paid them with a defensive artifact ring.

That was all it took for him to keep the promise; he would do nothing more. The night passed, in the next day. Axel visited the home of the detective, who usually lived in his office, but now he had rented an apartment. Malric was playing catch with the little Rugen, he also left some potions for the kid along with the artifact. Which is why the kid looked so healthy.

But he saw a weird scene for the first time, the detective was smiling while playing catch with a kid. And Rugen was as cheerful as ever, Axel could swear that he had never seen a kid with such a bright smile, that could even improve the mood of anyone looking at the little boy.

Somehow, a similar smile bloomed on Axel’s face. He appeared in front of them, and the detectives stoic expression returned. But the little Rugen looked at Axel curiously, he was too different now to be recognized by the kid.

The detective said, "Rugen, this is your brother Ash, the one who treated you at that time, and the one who gave you that ring."

Rugen was surprised, then questioned, "But this person looks so different."

Well, Axel’s face itself did not change, but a little kid like Rugen did not have a very strong memory. The detective explained, "It is him, he is a mage, so his appearance changes often."

Axel shot the detective a reproachful look, then spoke to the kid with a smile, "Hey, brat. You don’t remember this big brotha?"

The kid seemed to jump in joy and somehow recognize his voice or maybe his speaking manner, the kid rushed at him and hugged his legs. Axel patted the kid’s head with a small laugh.

Rugen said in a crying voice, "Big brotha, thank you so so much."

"I don’t know how to repay you, big brotha," he stated, but started crying in the next moment. The detective and he consoled the kid. Axel brought out some luxury goods that kids would love out of his space ring. Then handed it over to the kid.

After a while, the kid was sent inside, and only Malric and he remained. The detective brought out a cigarette and lit it up. He started smoking, "Want one?"

Axel looked at him and said, "Sure."

They both started smoking while looking out the window from the balcony of Malric’s apartment. The view wasn’t bad. Axel wasn’t sure how he would ask Malric the question he wanted to; by now, he considered the man his friend.

Their relationship wasn’t as rigid as it was back then, but it was Malric who broke the silence, "Thanks."

Axel looked at him, surprised. He mocked, "Oh, is the mighty Night Hunter thanking a 12-year-old kid. What a surprise! What a surprise indeed."

Malric puffed out smoke from his mouth, his expression did not change, and he stated calmly, "I am."

Axel raised his eyebrow and shrugged, "You’re welcome."

Then silence followed, and he eventually asked, "You knew who my father was?"

Malric’s expression changed for the first time. He opened his mouth to say something, but no words came out. With a heavy sigh, he eventually said, "I...did."

Axel’s expression became cold. He turned towards his friend and asked, "Why?" "Why didn’t you tell me?"

But Malric did not answer as he asked anxiously, "What did you?"

"What did you do, Ash?"

Axel declared, "I killed him, obviously."

Malric placed a hand on his head, "You fool, THIS IS WHY I DID NOT TELL YOU."

He snickered, "Since when have you become a fucking saint?"

Malric shook his head, "Have you ever thought for a moment, what would happen to his family now? How would they suffer? Without a pillar to lean on?"

"AND YOU THINK MY MOTHER DID NOT SUFFER ENOUGH," shouted Axel right in Malric’s face.

But Malric did not back down, he asked, "Just for your petty revenge, you ruined another family?"

Axel was stunned.... he was utterly stunned by that remark, he couldn’t believe what Malric just said.

His entire demeanor shifted, barely holding in his anger, he kicked him in the stomach as Malric was sent flying and crashed into the wall. Malric coughed out a mouthful of blood, crouching down.

Axel grabbed his hair, made him look up, he announced with in a chilling tone, "If not for the damn kid you’re taking care of, I would have killed you right this instant."

"Just because I treated you nicely, you seem to be forgetting who or what I am, and what you are?"

"YOU DARE CALL MY EMOTIONS PETTY?"

"KNOW YOUR PLACE, MALRIC DRACOY."

After saying that, he simple left the bloody and injured Malric, his mood which was slowly returning to normal soured again, it seems peace was a luxury, he couldn’t afford in this damn life.

He started heading back towards the runic tower in a sour mood. Giving the artifact to his little brother and spending time with Akon might be the only thing that would improve his mood now.

But high in the sky, unknown to him, his master was floating there, gazing at his disciple with an unreadable expression on his face. He looked towards his disciple and the immense power he held, but he could see the flaws in it as well. That unstable mind, his overly emotional state at every problem that occurs, and his overly obsessive nature in some things. freeweɓnovēl.coɱ

’Sigh, his mind is becoming more and more unstable as he grows stronger. Perhaps I should get something more potent from the Alchemy tower that would be useful for his mind, I can’t have him become so emotionally unstable; the boy would mess it up in the competition.’

’Things will already become too troublesome, the moment he is revealed to the world.’