The Sinful Life of The Emperor

On the end of a cliff, a group of four youths was standing. Three of them were looking at the final youth. His eyes were glowing red and twisting like a whirlpool as he gazed far away.

"Edolas, have you discovered anything about that explosion?" A youth named Oboro asked.

Like most of the contestants, he has just passed without receiving a single bead. This naturally put him under great stress.

When the announcement about this wasteland came, and he guessed on its role, he regained hope. He felt there was still a chance so he recruited three of his friends who hasn't fared any better than him.

All of them decided to target Zed and Sophia instead of going after Alistair, Leonardo, Solomon, and other top geniuses. They lacked confidence to face the top geniuses and Chosen as they were well aware of their background and powers.

Compared to them, Zed was a very easy target. He has at least lived ten to twelve years of his life in slums based on the memories from the first trial and this meant he didn't have any good training nor he has powerful connections. Furthermore, while Sophia was talented, she was the youngest so chances of overpowering her were high.

This deep thinking brought them to the present. By the time they decided to go after their targets, the prey has already fled into a distance.

Thankfully, the group wasn't worried as they had Edolas who has ocular powers, including clairvoyance.

A few minutes ago, they heard the ear-piercing sound of a chain explosion, and they felt it was from the same direction as the one where their targets had fled.

As such, Oboro asked Edolas asked about the explosion. He was waiting for an answer when his eyes turned wide in disbelief.

Not only him, but the other two youths around him were the same as they looked at Edolas. Without speaking anything or even making any sense, Edolas has tightly planted his hands on his crotch.

He was even trembling and sweating with his face losing all traces of colors. That was shocking enough but then he closed his legs and crouched on the ground as if to guard his crotch.

"What the hell!?" Oboro was stunned.

"Disaster!" Saliva dripped out of Edolas' mouth as he shouted. "There is a disaster going in that area! And everyone there is crazy!"

What crazy?

You are the one who is crazy by spouting such nonsense out of nowhere! At least, make some sense!

Edolas couldn't control his shaking. He was perceiving everything in the area where the explosion occurred through clairvoyance. He has even noticed Willard targetting Zed and others by being invisible.

Edolas was happy with the turn of events. He felt if Willard was successful then he and his group can just hunt him. And if Willard failed, he would at least have forced Zed and others to exhaustion.

He was brimming with happiness but then his heart sank. The fine hair on his body stood up as he perceived the new developments.

Willard's nether region was smashed beyond any recognition by a fireball. Even though he was just using clairvoyance, he felt as if he could actually experience the terrifying sensation and the unpleasant smell of flesh getting roasted.

This was something he could accept no matter how uncomfortable he felt. But then the women in Zed's group began thrashing Willard.

They were blaming him for being noisy and making the culprit - Zed - feel bad! Whether it was Sophia or Jenina, they kicked and punched Willard violently, without any mercy as if to stop his tragic screams!

What the fuck!

Obviously, Willard would scream!

How could you expect him to be silent when his most precious belongings were fried out of existence!? You, women, don't know how sensitive and treasured that area is! Stop shaming the victim!

Edolas couldn't react for a long time. He has witnessed many cases of victim-blaming but nothing like this.

This was just too tragic!

And as a man, he could very well understand Willard's suffering. Despite him not having any good intent towards Willard, Edolas wished him well so that he could survive the disaster.

While this was frightening enough, he then further observed the developments and he got the shock of his life.

Sophia grabbed Willard and tossed him in front of Zed. She appeared before him like a cute fairy, her body wrapped with streams of energy.

"Zed! You weren't at fault!" Sophia pinned Willard to ground even as he protested with mournful cries. "This ugly toad is a crybaby! He is blaming you for nothing!"

"Really?" Zed asked, his voice filled with doubts.

There was still guilt on his face as if he has carried out a cruel act.

"Yes!" Jenina reassured him on Sophia's behalf.

She has seen all his kind acts and knew his character.

Just a few days ago, after his fight with Launcelot, even though Launcelot was at fault, Zed has apologized for hurting him. He even gave Launcelot healing pills out of guilt.

As for the group of twenty, while it was true that Zed has been fierce, but she felt it was justifiable and a sign of strong character. Not to mention, instead of torturing, he has given them a quick death.

This could tell just how much he hated acts of cruelty.

"Zed, I have known this toad as well," Divya said while pointing to Willard. "He would cry even when he got a scratch!"

Zed nodded but the guilt on his face didn't disappear.

"Let me show it to you!" Sophia decided to take matters in her hand.

Willard was having a bad premonition and while he was in the middle of thinking, he heard a whistling sound. The next moment, his eyes nearly popped out of sockets and he wailed like a dying dog.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Sophia has given him a savage kick in his neither region. Willard wished he could lose consciousness instead of experiencing this brutality, but sadly, the raging pain made it impossible. Fainting was a privilege the pain didn't allow him to have!

"See? There is nothing there!" Sophia pointed her pinky finger down to his non-existent neither region. "And yet he is screaming just like when you accidentally shot the fireball there!"

Sophia sported a smile as she explained further, "He is only pretending so that we would take pity and spare his life!"

"Oh!" Zed's expression changed and he nodded in understanding. "So he was really fooling me with his extreme reactions!"

"Yeap! Just like I said!" Jenina added while whipping the rope made of glistening liquid down. "Now that he knows we know, he would no longer use this method! Let me prove it to you!"

Willard's internals twisted in horror.

He wanted to tell her that they were misunderstanding him! He really was not pretending! The pain was as real as his reactions!

Alas, the rope was lightning fast, giving him no time to explain. As the rope swept downward, the air tore apart with violent fluctuations.

The moment the whip made contact with Willard's neither region, foam streamed down his mouth. He no longer cried or even make any sound. He just writhed on the ground like a fish on the chopping board.

"See?" Jenina pointed at Willard while looking at Zed.

She felt really good to vent her frustration on Willard while also getting a chance to elevate Zed's mood. She knew it wasn't good to take pleasure from others' misfortune, but she felt it didn't matter if the victims were people like Willard.

She believed she was taking justice on Zed's behalf!

How dare Willard target Zed to steal his beads?! He deserved far worse but he was lucky that he met a kind man like Zed.

Otherwise, the world has many cruel people. They wouldn't hold back like Zed in a fight!

Sophia studied Zed's face carefully. He has lost all traces of guilt and was back to his cheerful self.

Sophia and others smiled in relief while ignoring the pitful Willard.

A few miles away, when Edolas witnessed this moment, he collapsed on the ground to protect his treasured region.

As Oboro and others asked him for an explanation, he only gripped his neither region in deep fear. After some time, with a hoarse voice, he shouted:

"You can do anything! But don't go after that Zed guy! The women around him are crazy!"