"Understood, my lord."

Nasser quickly stepped forward and bowed before Ian.

Clank— clatter—

Following Ian’s movements, all kinds of metal armor clattered onto the floor. They were pieces meant for Nasser and Mev.

Nasser crouched down and began sorting them into matching sets.

"Well, it’s not as messy as the vampires’ laboratories. Though it’s just as revolting," Thesaya muttered while looking around the room.

Mev, who had been inspecting a nearby operating table with narrowed eyes, nodded. "I knew it, but the Gray Magic Tower truly has been committing unforgivable acts."

Her gaze lingered on the girl Roben had called his masterpiece.

The sight of her likely reminded Mev of her younger brother, who had died at the hands of a dark mage. It also reminded her of Lucia, who had once been destined for Larmut.

"That’s right. And from what we saw on the way here, every spellcaster in this tower is the same," Ian replied as he continued pulling equipment out.

Mev clenched her fists and turned toward him. "Then let us judge them all. Every last one of them. In the name of the heavens."

As Ian nodded, Miguel said, "Agreed, my lord. Those gray spellcasters have long since abandoned their humanity."

Pushing himself up from the corner of a fallen table, he added, "They drag slaves around like it’s nothing... and they looked at us like we were cuts of meat in a butcher’s shop. Those damn eyes are going to haunt my dreams."

"You held it together well without getting caught, Miguel." Ian turned and tossed him the steel prosthetic arm he had just pulled out, steering it through the air with his Willful Grasp.

Miguel reached out with a click of his tongue.

"Hey, could you come help for a moment, Elder? I only have two hands, you know," said Nasser.

"Shouldn’t we kill these test subjects, Ian?" asked Thesaya, ignoring Nasser completely.

When Ian’s eyes twitched, she shrugged. "It might be kinder that way. They all look too far gone to save."

"Wouldn’t it be better to leave them?" Mev said quietly.

When Ian and Thesaya looked at her, she continued, "So they can fall asleep peacefully... without pain."

"Hmph... that’s such a you answer, Redhead." Thesaya snorted.

Ian nodded. "Alright. We’ll do that."

His gaze briefly passed over the girl lying motionless on the table. Even if someone else carried it out, he still disliked the idea of killing them.

Mev nodded and crouched beside Nasser while Thesaya smacked her lips.

"Well, speaking as someone who used to be a test subject myself, I’m not sure that’s really merciful—oh?"

She suddenly turned her gaze behind Ian and blinked.

Ian frowned and turned as well. It wasn’t only because the corner of Thesaya’s lips had curled upward.

Thud—

The masked slave sprawled on the floor was pushing itself up using the edge of the bed.

Miguel, who had been sitting beside it while attaching his prosthetic arm, jolted upright. "Sh—shit! That scared the hell out of me!"

Ian didn’t even glance at him.

Instead, he watched the masked slave swaying to its feet. More precisely, he was staring at the violet glow shining through the eyeholes of the metal mask.

—As you can see, it worked. This one’s my slave now, my friend.

Yog’s voice echoed in Ian’s mind, amused.

Ian narrowed his eyes slightly as he searched through what little remained in his pocket dimension.

"Looks more like you’ve taken it as a host, and you don’t seem to be controlling that body easily."

The masked figure, Yog inside, slowly moved its arms as it stood.

—That’s because these spellcasters’ binding spells are a complete mess. Without it, controlling the body would actually be much easier. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

Miguel took a cautious step back while Thesaya snorted. "Didn’t you say earlier you’d turn those things into your slaves and cause chaos, Worm?"

It had been one of Yog’s earlier sinister suggestions—one Ian had briefly considered as well.

Right then, a faint puff of violet smoke seeped out of the metal mask.

—Of course, Pointy-Ears, the plan still stands. Even if they’re this crude, I can at least free them from the spellcasters’ control.

Yog added as it revealed its true form atop the slave’s metal helmet.

Even after Yog slipped out, the slave’s eyes still glowed violet, its arms continuing to move stiffly like those of a wooden puppet.

—Besides, from here on out, I’ll be able to take over the seal much faster. I’ve already figured it out. A few seconds will be enough...

By now, Mev and Nasser had finished sorting the equipment and were staring at the masked slave as well.

Watching Yog flick its violet tongue, Ian let out a hum. In that condition, it looked like it would only cause brief confusion before being subdued.

"A few seconds is a long time, Worm. Why not just break the binding instead?" said Thesaya, rubbing her chin.

Yog let out a low chuckle.

—That would be much simpler. I could do it in the blink of an eye. But I can’t say what will happen to this slave. It might just die on the spot.

That was when the Platinum Barrier flared to life in Ian’s left hand.

Tilting his chin toward Miguel, he added, "Then we’ll just find out what happens."

Miguel followed Ian’s gesture with his eyes, then grimaced slightly as he rose to his feet. He had realized Ian was pointing at the dagger lodged in Roben’s severed head.

Miguel hurried over, yanked out the dagger at Ian’s signal, and lightly tossed it over.

—Like I said... even I don’t know what’ll happen.

As Ian caught the dagger with his Willful Grasp and drew it into his right hand, Yog turned into smoke and slipped back through the slave’s mask.

Ssss...

The violet glow beyond the mask shattered and scattered at once. The masked slave collapsed as if its power had been switched off, while Yog flowed out again as a distinct wisp of violet smoke.

"Gh...ghk!"

A moment later, the masked slave’s shoulders shook as it sat there with its head lowered. Then, with a sound like metal scraping inside its throat, it suddenly lifted its head.

Bloodshot red eyes gleamed behind the mask.

—As you can see, it didn’t die

Ian’s grip tightened slightly around the dagger’s handle.

—It won’t be able to speak, Friend. It doesn’t have a tongue. Of course... it doesn’t seem to be in any condition to do so anyway.

By then, Miguel, who had been returning toward the bed, suddenly stopped.

"Ghh... ugh... ughhh!"

The masked slave had abruptly turned toward him, letting out a groan that bordered on pain and rage.

Miguel stepped back cautiously, frowning. "Th-this... this is okay, right?"

That was when the masked slave suddenly lunged forward like a beast.

Miguel reflexively raised his prosthetic arm as if to strike, only to be shoved sideways the next moment.

"Ugh?"

Ian had pushed him away with his Willful Grasp. He had realized the slave wasn’t charging at Miguel.

Tap, tap, tap!

Sure enough, the masked slave rushed straight past Miguel and leaped forward toward the spot where Roben’s headless corpse lay.

Crunch!

The slave’s hands came crashing down like a beast’s, plunging into the corpse’s torso. The chest caved inward with a sickening crunch, the body jerking as thick blood burst from the severed neck.

Of course, that was only the beginning.

"Ghh...ughhh!"

The masked slave began smashing the corpse, swinging and pounding it in a frenzy. Blue lightning flashed from its fists and grasping hands—likely thanks to the spell circuits engraved into its body.

"Lu Solar... good heavens..."

"Looks like it held quite a grudge against that spellcaster."

Watching the slave reduce the corpse to pulp and splatter blood everywhere, Nasser and Thesaya muttered.

Yog’s snickering laughter followed.

—So its sense of self wasn’t completely gone after all. Even while suppressed by the binding, it must have remembered at least some of what happened to it.

Mev, who had fastened her plate boots, clicked her tongue softly while Thesaya nodded with interest.

"Well, of course. They would have had to leave the soul intact. If they destroyed the brain, it’d be hard to make use of them."

"So they were trapped inside their own bodies like prisoners, suffering for the convenience of the mages," said Nasser, shaking his head, sliding his feet into chain-covered boots.

Miguel, who had circled back toward Ian, frowned. "Then all those slaves are? Those damned bastards deserve divine punishment..."

"In that case, if the bindings are broken, the other slaves might end up like that too," Ian said, drawing the attention of Thesaya and Miguel.

—Can’t guarantee every slave will turn out like that...

Yog, now reformed atop Thesaya’s head, snickered.

—But the possibility is high. As I said, it’s much easier than trying to possess them.

Nodding slowly, Ian looked at Yog. "I’d like to give them a chance to take revenge with their own hands, if possible. Think you could start a little slave liberation campaign while you’re wandering around, Yog?"

Tilting his head slightly, he curled one corner of his mouth. "Not just here. The middle tier we passed through earlier, too."

Flicking its violet tongue, Yog grinned wickedly.

—Nothing I can’t do, friend. As long as you share enough of your blood and chaos with me.

Ian immediately tilted his neck aside, exposing it as if inviting Yog to bite.

Like a spring snapping loose, Yog leaped forward—transforming into a wisp of violet smoke as it shot toward him.

Thump... thump...

The essence bead of chaos responded instantly, spilling chaos power through him as a sharp sting pricked his neck.

"As we heard earlier, the spellcasters don’t seem to get along very well with each other," said Thesaya, her eyes still on the rampaging slave. "Try stirring things up between them, Worm. If the spellcasters start fighting each other, the chaos will only grow."

—That’s a plan I’d love to give my very best effort to, Pointy-Ears.

Yog snickered while drinking Ian’s blood.

"Just be careful not to get caught. Free as many slaves as you can," said Ian.

Yog dissolved into a drifting mass of violet smoke.

—Don’t worry about that, my friend. I’ll make sure the chaos is truly spectacular.

With a cackling laugh, the creature shot toward the stairs. For once, the sound of its laughter almost felt reassuring.

—You all take care of your own business in the meantime.

The whisper abruptly faded.

Yog had clearly left the laboratory. The spell circuits carved into the ceiling had cut off the sound.

"I wonder just how spectacular it’ll be..." Thesaya murmured with a faint laugh.

"Instead of just watching, perhaps you could help a little, Elder. You too, Priest," said Nasser.

"Y-yeah, yeah, got it...." Miguel, who had been staring blankly at the blood-soaked rampage, finally snapped out of it and hurried toward Mev.

"Sorry, but not me. I need to search that room now. I should arm myself as well, shouldn’t I?" Thesaya spun around just then. She was referring to another room near the stairs.

"A spellcaster of that level must have at least one decent staff or magic wand lying around."

"I think you’re just curious about what’s in there."

"I won’t deny that either, Half-Ear. Don’t worry, Ian. I’ll grab something for you too."

Letting her light footsteps fade into the distance, Ian continued watching the masked slave.

The creature was still clutching Roben’s severed head with both hands and smashing it repeatedly, all the while letting out that strange, metallic wail.

Crunch! Crunch!

At last, the masked slave hurled the completely crushed head away.

Splat—

Blood and fragments of flesh splattered outward. Beneath its feet lay Roben’s body, now reduced to something like minced meat. The entire area reeked of blood and rot.

"Ghk...ghh..."

With a rasping, metallic groan, the masked slave turned its head from the center of the carnage. Ian, the Platinum Barrier hanging loosely from his left hand, silently tightened his grip on the dagger.

For a moment, the eyes behind the mask twisted strangely as they stared at him.

Crack—

Then the slave seized its own neck with both hands, tearing into it and ripping the flesh as if wringing it apart. Blood burst out in torrents as it collapsed to its knees and fell forward.

"Goodness... Lu Entre..." Miguel muttered blankly at the hesitation-free suicide.

Nasser sighed as well.

Was that the only way it could preserve its dignity?

Ian withdrew the Platinum Barrier, clicking his tongue bitterly. A belated thought crossed his mind that the slave might have been more conscious than it had appeared.

As he slid the dagger back to his belt and turned away, Nasser asked, "What will you do now? Wait until Yog starts causing chaos?"

Ian lifted the breastplate meant for Nasser with his Willful Grasp and replied, "I’ll wait upstairs with Moro. Once things start, we’ll head straight for the top floor."

"So you plan to kill the Tower Master before the chaos settles," Mev said as she fitted on her plate armor with Miguel’s help.

Ian removed his cloak and nodded. "It’s only one floor below."

"I need to see with my own eyes what kind of bastard leads these insane spellcasters—" Miguel’s voice suddenly trailed off.

The room had suddenly gone pitch black. A reddish glow spread a moment later. The spell circuits carved into the ceiling were flashing crimson.

"An alarm, it seems. Seems it got caught the moment things began," Nasser murmured while staring up at the ceiling.

Ian’s expression twisted slightly.

So much for that confidence.

Still, this was no time to click his tongue.

Ian immediately turned toward the others. "Can’t be helped. Let’s move."