Chapter 41 This Might Hurt A Little
The room was deathly silent, every servant frozen in place as they watched the exchange. Harland's lips trembled, his hands shaking as he took an involuntary step back.
Lucious's eyes narrowed, a cold fire igniting in his gaze as he turned to look at the man his master had just exposed. The immensity of the revelation hung heavily in the air, the once—imposing steward now reduced to a trembling shadow of his former self.
The supervisor stammered, his words tumbling out in a panicked rush. "M-My lord! I-I didn't mean any harm—I swear! I never expected—never wanted anyone to die!"
His voice cracked as his coat darkened with sweat, his trembling hands gripping at the fabric as though it might anchor him. His legs shook violently, the movement so exaggerated that it seemed as if he were standing in the midst of an earthquake.
Cassius, however, showed no signs of sympathy. He began walking toward the man, the helmet still in hand, his expression calm but devoid of mercy.
"Rats don't speak." Cassius said, his voice carrying an edge that cut through the steward's desperate pleas. "So either squeak like a rat...or shut up."
Harland froze, his mouth opening and closing wordlessly. His trembling body seemed to crumple in on itself as he fell silent, his wide, terrified eyes locked on Cassius.
The crowd instinctively moved away, parting like a wave as Cassius approached, their fear of him overpowering their curiosity. They knew, without a doubt, that something terrible was about to happen.
Cassius then stopped directly in front of Harland, the helmet held loosely in one hand. His calm demeanour made the tension in the room all the more unbearable.
And then, with deliberate ease, he lifted the helmet and placed it on Harland's head, adjusting it carefully so it sat snugly in place.
Harland flinched at the contact but didn't dare move, his breathing shallow and rapid.
Cassius patted Harland on the shoulder with a touch that was almost gentle, his crimson eyes glowing with something dark and unreadable as he suddenly started to sympathise with him by saying, "I understand, Mr Rat...I really do. You're only human, after all. Tempted by the promise of money, by the allure of worldly treasures..."
Harland's trembling slowed slightly, hope flickering in his eyes as he thought, for a fleeting moment, that his master might actually forgive him.
Cassius smiled faintly, his voice softening further. "It's natural." He continued. "Greed is an inherent part of being human. You wanted more. You thought you deserved more."
The steward nodded shakily, his lips trembling as he tried to speak. "Y-Yes, my lord, I—"
"But..." Cassius interrupted smoothly, his tone turning cold. "It's only fine to be greedy if you can face the consequences of that greed."
Harland's flicker of hope died instantly, replaced by sheer terror.
Cassius's smile widened slightly, but the warmth was gone, replaced by something far more sinister as he said, "And now just as my loyal Lucious always says—it's time for you to face the consequences of your actions."
He then turned his head slightly, his gaze flicking to Lucious as he said, "Lucious, bring me the rock."
Lucious didn't hesitate, his movements precise and efficient as he stepped forward, his expression a mixture of cold resolve and satisfaction.
"Hggh~"
He grunted as he hoisted the jagged rock from the table, his face tightening with the strain. It was heavier than it looked—immensely so.
He could feel its unforgiving weight pressing down on his arms, his muscles burning as he struggled to carry it. His shoes scuffed against the floor as he staggered forward, sweat beginning to bead on his forehead despite his best efforts to maintain composure.
By the time he reached Cassius, his arms were trembling visibly, his breath laboured. He extended the rock toward his master, his shoulders sagging under the oppressive burden.
Cassius didn't react immediately, his gaze flicking briefly to Lucious's straining form. Without a word, he reached out and grasped the rock with one hand, lifting it from Lucious's trembling grip as if it weighed nothing at all.
The room collectively held its breath, the stark contrast between Lucious's visible struggle and Cassius's effortless handling of the rock sending a wave of unease through the gathered servants.
Lucious straightened, rubbing his sore arms as he stepped back, his wide eyes fixed on his master. Cassius, meanwhile, turned the rock over in his hand, studying its jagged edges with the air of someone inspecting a fine piece of art.
When Harland saw what was happening, he froze, his breath hitching as his gaze locked onto the stone. His trembling intensified, his knees buckling as if the weight of the rock were bearing down on him even from a distance. The helmet on his head wobbled with his violent shaking, the hollow clinks of its metal reverberating through the oppressive silence.
"This..." Cassius said as he tapped the helmet on top of Harland's head. "...is the same type of faulty helmet you provided to those miners."
The servants exchanged fearful glances, their fear intensifying as Cassius continued.
"And this rock..." He tilted it in his hand, the jagged edges catching the light. "...is probably the same size as the one that crushed them."
Harland's breath stopped again, his knees threatening to give out entirely.
"And now..." He said, his voice carrying a mockery of cheerfulness. "It's time to see if you can trust your own life to the products you chose."
Without waiting for a response, Cassius reached out with his free hand and grasped Harland's shoulder firmly, his grip like iron. The steward flinched violently, trying instinctively to pull away, but Cassius held him in place effortlessly.
The crowd began to back away, their fear overwhelming beyond measures they wanted to experience as they moved further from the inevitable scene. They knew what was coming, and none of them wanted to be too close when it happened.
Harland's instincts also screamed at him to run, to escape at all costs, but Cassius's grip made movement impossible. The man's panic hit it's peak, his voice breaking into a desperate plea.
"P-Please, my lord!" He stammered, tears streaming down his face. "I-I'll do anything—just, please don't—"
But before he could say another word, Cassius's calm voice cut through his panicked rambling. "I told you..." He said, his tone deceptively gentle, "...rats don't speak...And even if they do, I'm not in the mood to hear a disgusting animal like you speak."
Harland's lips trembled, his sobs caught in his throat as Cassius leaned closer, his expression softening into something almost kind.
"Now..." Cassius said, his voice quiet but steady, "Clench your teeth and tighten your jaws as hard as you can...As well...This might hurt a little."
Cassius didn't give Harland a chance to utter another word. With a single fluid motion, he brought the jagged rock down at full speed.
"Thwack!~"
The impact was sickening.
The sharp edges of the rock tore through the flimsy, faulty helmet with ease, shattering it into pieces and driving deep into Harland's skull.
"Gush!~ Gush!~ Goop!~"
There was a nauseating crunch as bone splintered and cracked, the force of the blow leaving a crater in his head. Blood sprayed in all directions, thick and dark, pooling beneath Harland's body that was still held up by Cassius.
The room erupted into gasps and muffled cries of horror.
The servants, already trembling, recoiled violently, some clutching their mouths or turning away, though most were unable to look away from the grisly scene.
Cassius remained still for a moment, his expression unreadable as he gazed at Harland's limp, lifeless body. Then, without a word or a flicker of hesitation, he raised the rock again.
"Crunch!~ Splat!~ Drip!~ Splatter!~"
The second blow came slower but no less brutal, the jagged stone slamming into what remained of Harland's skull with a dull, wet thud.
"Crack!~ Smash!~ Splurt!~"
Flesh and bone gave way under the force, bits of tissue and blood splattering across Cassius's face and clothes.
The crowd froze in utter terror, their collective fear paralysing them. A few servants stumbled backward, their legs trembling, while others turned pale, their eyes wide with disbelief.
Cassius's expression didn't change. His face, now speckled with crimson, remained calm and detached as he brought the rock down again.
"Squish!~ Thud!~ Splatter!~ Dribble!~"
And again.
"Thud!~ Crunch!~ Burst!~ Splish!~"
And again.
"Crack!~ Slam!~ Gush!~"
Each strike was methodical, the sound of the rock meeting what remained of Harland's head growing wetter and more grotesque with every blow.
"Splurt!~ Crush!~ Squelch!~ Drip!~"
Flesh was stripped away, bit by bit, splattering across the floor and staining Cassius's pristine clothing.
"Squish!~ Thud!~ Splatter!~ Dribble!~"
Bone fragments cracked and shattered under the unrelenting force, scattering like shards of porcelain.
"Thud!~ Crunch!~ Burst!~ Splish!~"
Blood sprayed in every direction, pooling thickly beneath the mangled body.
The servants began to break. Some turned away, retching, their stomachs unable to bear the scene any longer. Others covered their ears, their faces contorted in fear and nausea as the sickening sounds of flesh and bone being pulverised filled the room.
Cassius's movements never faltered. He struck with the same slow, deliberate force, each blow reducing Harland's head further into a grotesque mess of gore.
"Crack!~ Smash!~ Splurt!~ Squish!~"
By the final strike, there was nothing left resembling a human head—only a pulped mass of flesh and bone fragments, a sickening pile of red and white that looked like it had been through a meat grinder.
Blood seeped into the cracks of the floor, spreading out like a dark, viscous tide until it finally created a puddle of blood that reflected a demonic image of Cassius holding a stone that was painted red one hand and a mangled corpse in another…
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