Chapter 131: Revelations

-----

Fernand heard Noah's words as cold sweat began to slowly drip from his tender neck.

Friend?

What did he even mean by friends?

He and Noah were not friends at all…

In fact, he thought that Noah hated him because he kept abusing him.

What… was going on?

Fernand could not understand anything.

Noah had somehow acquired the power to simply appear out of nowhere.

He had completely changed his appearance too.

His strength was now ridiculous, to the point that his very pressure made him shiver and completely paralyzed him, even more, it was capable of suppressing his will to fight…

And… there was something even more terrifying.

Fernand could clearly feel it.

There were many other beings with Noah.

He… was certainly not alone.

Despite simply standing there.

He was not alone at all.

It was as if a tremendous army was with him…

A false movement and could mean his demise.

How?

How did Noah acquire such power?

From where?

And why did he came here?

Did… he wanted revenge?

After all, Fernand had clearly made his life in school quite hellish…

Now that Noah had somehow acquired such a terrifying power, it was normal for him to want to exert revenge.

But that wasn't the case.

He said that he wanted to be his friend…

Why?

Fernand would never become Noah's friend.

He was poor and talentless, pathetic, and an orphan…

He was nothing he liked.

But… perhaps the talentless and powerless part should be scratched.

He might pretend to agree but probably backstab him, telling his brother to help him and then burning him alive into ashes with his help.

For now… he simply decided to act well.

"Your friend…? But why?" asked Fernand.

"I told you. Because without you, I would have never gotten this power, to begin with… Hm, do you remember a red jewel you were carrying around?" asked Noah.

Fernand's eyes suddenly sank.

"Red… Jewel…? No… It can't… be…" muttered Fernand, barely containing his own sanity.

"Yeah, it can be! It was a nice little gift for me. I made sure to use it well… you are such a good friend to giving it to me. I am beginning to treasure our friendship more and more," said Noah.

"W-What…? (What is this insane bastard talking about?! He is spitting nonsense! And he… he took the blood core?! Noah, from all people?! HE REALLY DID IT?!)"

Fernand could not help but feel like his mind was about to explode.

Knowing that Noah himself stole the Blood Core from all people… one of the first ones that they checked… he could not believe himself, to think that he let him get away with it!

"Wait, then the reason on why you… you acquired that strength is…!" said Fernand.

"Indeed, I absorbed the Blood Core, it is mine. It has given me a lot of powers I never thought I would ever have, it really just opened a door for a world of wonders and dangers for me. I couldn't be more grateful for the amazing opportunity you brought to me!" said Noah.

Fernand felt more and more enraged… as wrath quickly took hold of him!

He could not help but feel immense scorn against the shamelessness of Noah!

"You… You…! It was you this whole time! You… You bastard!" roared Fernand.

"Hm? What is happening to you, my friend? Are you perhaps… angry?" asked Noah.

Suddenly, against his expectations, Fernand unleashed all of his rage!

Flames emerged from his entire body, covering him like an aura of fire!

Although his ability was not as insanely powerful as his brother, he was still able to control flames!

"YOU DAMN FUCKING RAT!" roared Fernand, unleashing his flames over Noah!

BOOM!

An explosion of flames unfolded, as Fernand quickly tried to escape now that he had attacked Noah, moving to the left, towards the door of his room!

But the wicked laughter of Noah stopped him.

The black smoke dissipated as he noticed that his room was not… getting burned by his own attack.

Everything was somehow… covered on a sticky red substance which had a very strong and sweet scent…

This was blood.

"Good thing that with Crimson Aegis, I can create barriers of the blood of all shapes and sizes. Making everything sound-proof was a good idea… Oh well, fireproof too, I guess? It seems that nothing burned… Or maybe you are a bit too weak…?" asked Noah, as the black smoke dissipated and revealed his smiling, triumphant expression on his face.

He did not even move at all, his clothes were not even affected, his skin did not even burn, nothing at all, not even the hair…

Noah had been burned and constantly regenerated many times through his recent journey into the Fire Wyrm Dungeon…

Fernand's fire, which was measly E-Rank was nothing against Noah, absolutely nothing.

It actually just felt like a slight steamy wind.

"Impossible… No…!" muttered Fernand, without being able to fathom what had just unfolded in front of his eyes!

"Now, Fernand, have your family never told you to not be disobedient?" asked Noah, expanding a blood tentacle and grasping him!

"W-Wait, stop! Do not touch me! STOOOP!" cried Fernand, trying to burn Noah once more by firing more and more fire, but it was nothing at all to him…

Noah moved Fernand near him as he smiled wickedly.

"What is the problem, Fernand…? Do you feel a bit scared? Do not worry, I am not here to make you suffer… In fact, I have come here to completely change your life, to completely give you the shift you wanted," said Noah.

"Why…? Why would I want to do that?! Let me go! I have an S-Rank Brother! You cannot possibly think that by killing me you will get away with what you did! My brother will hunt you until the ends of the world!" said Fernand.

"Kill? I told you I wouldn't kill you," said Noah expressionlessly.

"Brain," he said, as a large wound on his chest opened, and the figure of a smiling young man covered in warlock clothes seemingly made out of hardened blood emerged out of the open wound!

"W-What is that?! What is happening anymore?!" asked Fernand, he was losing all of his sanity now and turning insane out of pure disbelief.

"This is Brain, my Blood Servant. When I acquired the Blood Core… things changed. I became different. I finally acquired the power to change my fate, to change how I was. Now, I am way above you to even care about avenging such pathetic life of bullying. However, as you are the brother of an S-Rank Hunter, you are indeed very useful. In fact, too useful. Especially by how weak you are and how stupid you are to come to such a place like this school with barely any security…" sighed Noah.

As Noah spoke, Brain began to move its hand over Fernand, slowly, as if Brain enjoyed the pathetic face of fear that Fernand was doing.

He quickly began to cry, and even snot began to come out of his nose… he was truly a pathetic and disgusting rat.

"W-What are you… going to do with me? Please… Sniff… I have… no… AGH! STOP!"

Fernand suddenly felt Brain's cold hand touch his head, as a sudden flow of pink light began to emerge from within.

"Congratulations, you are about to join my crew…" laughed Noah.

Fernand began to feel as his entire mind was being parasitized by an entity of some sort, eating away his thoughts, emotions, and sense of will!

He was being torn apart without even receiving any wound, he was simply disappearing but at the same time reforming himself!

This was the dread, the terrifying power of brainwashing.

His entire self began to change, and the pain of his head was enormous as if his entire brain were about to burst out of his skull!

Fernand cried in agony as his memories began to be changed, his emotions and nature shifted, and he was slowly becoming… a puppet.

"Nnngh…! AAGGH! It hurts! Please stop! STOP! Nnnggguuh…!"

Suddenly, Fernand fell silent.

"Hm, good. Now you are way nicer than before. You simply needed to shut up." Said Noah, raising the chin Fernand as he analyzed him a bit.

He was dull, motionless, and expressionless.

If it were not because he was actually breathing and his heart was still beating, anyone would think he was dead.

"Now… Bloodline Curse, Blood Contract," said Noah, beginning his next step.

-----