Exploring Technology in a Wizard World-Chapter 281 - 280 The Old Man the Cat and the Punishment
Chapter 281: Chapter 280: The Old Man, the Cat, and the Punishment
Chapter 281 -280: The Old Man, the Cat, and the Punishment
As the elderly man stepped into the secret chamber, the six people seated around the long table stood up simultaneously, bowing in unison as they exclaimed, “Master.”
“Hmm,” the elderly man nodded expressionlessly.
The person bound to the chair widened his eyes in disbelief at the old man and said, “Teacher, you…”
The older man ignored the bound person and walked toward the long wooden table. The first speaker, who was sitting at one end of the table, promptly made way, assisting the elderly man to his seat and stood straight by his side, waiting for instructions. The remaining five also stood upright, visibly tense.
Upon settling in the high-backed leather chair, the old man looked up at the corner where a person was tied to a chair and called out, “Keli!”
“Teacher, you must save me, it’s a set-up by them…” the person tied to the chair said with nervous desperation.
The elder shook his head, unable to help himself, staring at the young man called Keli. He stroked the black cat in his lap and said, “Keli, do you still not understand? There is no frame-up, no targeting; you brought this upon yourself. You’ve leaked the Council’s secrets and exposed the existence of the Council. Thus, you must be punished— even I cannot help you. In fact, it was by my instruction that you were apprehended.”
“Teacher, you…” the young man known as Keli panicked, “But, Teacher, it wasn’t on purpose, my leaking of secrets, it was just an accident, an accident!”
The old man gently stroked the black cat, his eyes slightly narrowed: “Keli, maybe it was an accident, maybe it wasn’t, but it doesn’t matter anymore. You are my student, a member of the Council. Then you must understand that some matters, some rules, are not to be taken lightly.
The Council has a history of over a hundred years to date. It has survived so long precisely because every member strictly adheres to the rule of ‘Seclusion.’ And now, you have broken the rules, nearly exposing the entire Council, therefore… you must die. Even if you are my student, the same applies.”
“I!” Keli stiffened, his fearful gaze upon the old man, his eyes as wide as ice pucks, barely able to accept it, he repeated, “No! No! It can’t be like this! Teacher, you have to save me, you…”
The old man continued to gently stroke the black cat in his lap, shook his head at Keli, giving a negative response, “I cannot.”
Keli grew angry, his eyes wide, the ice pucks turning into lava, shooting glares of rage and despair as he shouted, “Old man! Old codger! You’ve deceived me! Tricked me into becoming your student, your lackey, getting me to join this inexplicable Council, and I’ve gained nothing! Now, for a slight mistake, you want to kill me! You…you deserve to die! Let me go!”
Upon hearing Keli’s words, the old man’s expression remained unchanged, though his stroking of the black cat ceased.
The black cat, which was being continuously stroked, seemed to sense something, arched its back, its fur standing on end, its pair of oily green eyes fixated on the bound Keli.
“Old man! Let me go! Or I’ll never let this rest,” Keli bellowed loudly.
“Swoosh!”
The black cat suddenly leaped out from the elder’s lap onto the surface of the long table, quickly Rushing to the end of the table, then leaped with force. It described an arc in mid-air, its speed so fast it was like an arrow shot, landing on Keli’s head.
The next moment, the black cat’s sharp claws protruded from its paws, brutally slashing at Keli’s face.
“Damn it! Damn cat, get off!” Keli swore out loud, attempting to shake his neck to throw the cat off but was instead clawed in the eye by the black cat’s paw.
“Puff!”
Blood splattered.
“Ahh!”
Keli screamed, his whole body convulsing!
“Enough,” the old man spoke, and only then did the black cat release the unlucky Keli, jumping back onto the table, licking the fresh blood from its claws, then calmly settling back in the old man’s lap, lying down.
“Ah! Ah! Ah!”
Keli’s screams continued, echoing through the secret chamber, causing the expressions of the six standing people to vary.
At this moment, the old man spoke out, calling, “Ken!”
A gaunt silhouette flashed into existence within the chamber, approaching the elderly man’s side, slightly bowing as he respectfully asked, “Teacher, do you have any instructions?”
“Kill Keli,” the old man said. “After all, he was my student, too. Give him a quick end.”
“Yes,” the man called Ken nodded, striding toward the still-screaming Keli.
Follow curr𝒆nt nov𝒆ls on fɾeeweɓnѳveɭ.com.
By then, Keli realized what was happening. Using his remaining eye, he watched Ken draw nearer and shouted, “Ken! Don’t! You can’t kill me! We know each other! I’ve even helped you before. I—ah!”
Ken reached Keli, completely ignoring his words. SLOWLY extending his hand, a pale, blue flame emerged and, without hesitation, pressed upon Keli’s head.
The pale, blue flame touched Keli’s body, reacting as though it met gunpowder—with a “whoosh,” the flames rapidly enveloped his entire body.
Keli shrieked, attempting to struggle, but after a few spasms, he stilled.
Moments later,
among the stench of charring, the flames on Keli’s body extinguished, leaving behind a skeletal frame, and the chair beneath him turned to char.
With a “crack,” the charred chair crumbled under the weight, and Keli’s skeleton fell to the ground, shattered to pieces.
Ken returned to the old man’s side. The elder nodded lightly, a sign of satisfaction. The six people standing to the side watched, daring not to breathe heavily, feeling immense pressure.
The old man stroked the black cat once more, slowly stood up, and walked toward the exit of the chamber. As he walked, he said to those behind him, “The Council has been in existence for over a hundred years, and if nothing goes wrong, it will continue for much longer, until we unravel that secret and see the great being return.
During this process, whoever dares to disrupt or defy the rules is an enemy of the Council. Regardless of their status, they must be strictly punished and killed, myself included. I hope each of you will remember this.”
“Yes,” the six people behind the old man quickly responded.
“Catherine!”
“Master, I’m here,” the woman who was the sixth to speak responded promptly.
“You seemed to have some complaints earlier,” the old man inquired.
“Master, please… please forgive me. I was just…” the woman became somewhat tense.
The old man shook his head, his back to the woman, “It’s all right. It’s acceptable to have complaints. I have them, too. After all, without these affairs of the Council, I could live a much more relaxed life.”
“Uh…”
“However, now that you are a part of the Council, even with complaints, you must strive to continue your work. The Council has only one goal: to see the return of the once great being. And to achieve that goal, we need to continue amassing power and working hard.
Because of Keli, you lost many subordinates, but that’s all right—I will have others compensate you. And after that, I expect you to perform as excellently as you did before, without negativity, without holding the Council back.”
“Yes,” the woman quickly said.
“That’s good to hear,” the old man nodded. Carrying the black cat and accompanied by his student Ken, he left the chamber.
Once the old man was gone, the woman who was the sixth to speak subconsciously touched her face, only to find it was drenched in cold sweat.
This…
The night went on…
…
