Rogue Villain-Chapter 309: Erbened And Denebre

"So, you want my help?"

Makkel looked at Ackster, Wilma, Mara, Kargas, and Karandiel with a doubtful expression. They were all stronger than him, which they had shown when they broke him out of prison with overwhelming force. Their leader, Ackster, especially, was ridiculous.

No matter who blocked their way out of the prison and who tried to stop them after they left the prison grounds, Ackster broke through them with brute force. The Empire eventually had to give up or waste precious manpower to track down a single prisoner charged with the attempted murder of an imperial relative.

Makkel wasn’t a great threat to the empire, even if he was a dangerous criminal.

Of course, the Vider Empire was still worried, and they wouldn’t just give up. They would still investigate everything they could and try to figure out who Ackster and the others were and why they had broken Makkel out of prison. But for now, it was reckless to chase after them.

Ackster nodded.

"Yes. I can’t give you the details yet, but your ability will come in handy for us in the future."

"What’s in it for me?"

Makkel was more than a little suspicious, especially regarding Ackster’s claim about his ability. He hadn’t told anyone about it. But he set that aside for now. He was no match for this strange group of weirdly beautiful people.

Ackster shrugged.

"What do you want?"

"..."

Makkel looked at Ackster. He hadn’t thought that far yet.

"I’ll get back to you on that. Can you tell me more about this whole thing?"

"Not really. But what do you want to know?"

"You mentioned my ability."

"Yeah. Your luck-burning fire."

"...How do you know about that?!"

Ackster’s words confirmed what Makkel didn’t think was possible.

"Doesn’t matter. You’re wondering why we need it, right? It’s obvious. We need you to burn someone."

"..."

Makkel thought in silence for a moment as he pondered on Ackster’s words.

"Will I be in danger?"

"More than waiting for an execution?"

"Ah..."

Makkel was forced to accept that while violent, Ackster and his crew had saved him from prison as a death-row inmate. If they had plucked him out of prison, they could put him back. Or they might skip the bothersome part and execute him on behalf of the Empire.

"I don’t have that much of a choice, do I?"

Makkel looked at Ackster with a bleak expression.

Ackster shrugged.

"Up to you."

Eventually, Makkel sighed.

"I expect decent treatment and good pay for my services."

"That can be arranged."

Makkel nodded.

"Who do I need to burn?"

Ackster smiled. It sent chills down Makkel’s spine. Wilma and the others also felt a little cold sweat bead on their foreheads.

"Before that, you’re going to need to get stronger. As you are now, you can barely act as a handwarmer."

Makkel furrowed his brow.

Ackster and the others might be outrageous, but his fire still burned hot.

However, before Makkel could say anything, Ackster reached out with his hand.

"Here."

Makkel received Erbened’s Bracelet without thinking much. He followed Ackster’s gesture and put it on his wrist.

"If I’m not mistaken, your unique skill is affected by the relative luck between yourself and your target, right?"

"...Yes."

Makkel narrowed his eyes at Ackster. It was one thing to know about his skill’s general features. But Makkel was barely aware of that detail himself. Whoever Ackster was, he was more than just strong.

"Great."

Ackster smiled and put Denebre’s Necklace around his neck. The four-leaf clover slipped into his shirt as he looked at Makkel again.

"That’s a cursed bracelet."

Makkel’s eyes widened, and he tried to take Erbened’s Bracelet off. But while it had slipped on like a piece of lubed butter, there was no way to get it off his wrist save for cutting his arm off. Makkel pulled, tugged, pushed, and bit the bracelet to try and remove it. But nothing worked.

"And this..." Ackster pointed at his necklace. "Is a lucky necklace. Your luck is even lower than before, and mine is higher than moments ago."

Makkel’s eyes locked on Ackster like a deer in headlights before they narrowed in realization as he stopped gnawing on his bracelet.

"You mean...?"

Ackster nodded.

"Yep. Light me up, buckaroo."

Makkel and the others chose to ignore Ackster’s choice of word when calling Makkel.

Makkel was suspicious. But when he saw the others nod, including Wilma, he gained some confidence.

"Providence Burn."

With the person himself asking him to, Makkel had no reason not to torch the man who gave him a cursed bracelet that lowered his already bottom-of-the-barrel low luck.

A bright orange flame sprung up in Makkel’s hand as he spoke. He tossed it at Ackster, who didn’t even feel like dodging. He could tell that the fire was impressive for such a quick cast and for an ordinary human. But neither the heat nor the intensity were impressive.

What was impressive, however, was the feeling of impending doom. Ackster could tell that even if he dodged, the fire would chase after and latch onto him like a leech. He also had a feeling that ordinary water or suffocating the fire wouldn’t put it out.

’Good.’

It was the right choice to try and bring Makkel into his fold. Although he got smacked into the ground like a useless piece of pie against The Hero due to a certain underestimation, Makkel had potential. If Ackster could help him realize that potential, Makkel wouldn’t suffer the same fate against The Hero should he be given a new chance.

Ackster smiled as the flame came in contact with him. Despite the fire increasing the temperature, Makkel felt a chill. Mara felt that she would soon have a new comrade.

The orange flames ignored Ackster’s clothes and Mio as they clung directly to his skin, trying to burn it and something intangible around and inside him that no one else could see or sense.

Makkel’s fire was trying to burn the air of luck and fortune hanging around Ackster while also burning him. The fire used Ackster’s luck as fuel while roasting him.

However, Ackster’s skin was as pristine, glossy, and untouched as before the fire came in contact with it. He looked at the fire with a raised eyebrow for a moment as he felt its efficiency against his Diamond Body, which had absorbed the Ex-rank Pyro Resistance.

He inhaled the fire. Into the Smelting Furnace it went.

Ackster looked at Makkel.

"Looks like you still have a long way to go."