Chapter 38

Chapter 12: The Young Man

The demon hunter pressed down the small man's hand that was about to reach for the dagger, slightly shaking his head. Then he walked to the big man's side, patted his shoulder, and said to the cold-faced man, "I will follow the headquarters' decision!"

The demon hunter understood that although he had every reason on his side, assaulting the instructor and the loss of the holy artifact, the Green Leaf, were not trivial matters. If he hadn't dragged all the new apostles into it, he wouldn't have even been able to leave the assembly hall. Now, just a week of confinement was a very light punishment, essentially a formality to save face for both the demon hunter headquarters and the Deke family.

Since he had already gained the most significant advantage, what did it matter to take care of others' faces? At most, it was just a week of confinement! When the time came to confront each other, he could reclaim everything with interest, right?

Giving the new apostles a reassuring look, the demon hunter followed a guard at the door and walked towards a tall tower beside the castle. Apart from the central castle, the demon hunter headquarters had six towers surrounding it.

The Tower of Decision, the Tower of Holy Relics, the Tower of Moonlit Nights, the Tower of Competitions, the Tower of Knowledge, and the Tower of Thorns—before coming, John had detailed to the demon hunter that each of the six towers in the headquarters had its own meaning, representing their respective authorities, encompassing the operation of the demon hunter guild and the daily lives of everyone in the headquarters.

Each tower had its own tower master, and these six tower masters were the highest rulers of the demon hunter guild.

Following the guard, Ye Qi was led to the Tower of Thorns—the torture chamber and prison of the demon hunter headquarters, where countless notorious criminals were imprisoned and executed.

Standing at the base of the tower, Ye Qi carefully observed it—thorny vines densely covered the tower, winding from the bottom to the top, truly living up to its name as the Tower of Thorns.

The tower, known for its thorns, was actually a place of torture and imprisonment, not somewhere anyone would want to go. From the guard's quick departure after knocking on the small door at the base of the tower and leaving the parchment without waiting for anyone to come out, Ye Qi deeply understood the fear people had of this place, to the point of not even wanting to look at it.

"Creak..."

The long-neglected door groaned as it opened, and the person who came out was not the executioner Ye Qi had imagined, but a sunny-faced young man.

"Such an impolite person!" Picking up the parchment detailing Ye Qi's punishment, the sunny-faced young man glanced at it and smiled brightly at the demon hunter, "Hello, I am Morey, the tower master of the Tower of Thorns. You must be Ye Qi?"

"I'm very sorry to disturb you, sir!" Even though the other person was a sunny-faced young man, under the reputation of the Tower of Thorns, Ye Qi dared not overstep—there were too many people who hid their true intentions, especially in places like prisons where darkness thrived. You could never be sure what you would encounter here; the seemingly harmless person standing in front of you could be a terrifying killer at any moment.

Especially when Ye Qi saw this sunny-faced young man, he instinctively felt a desire to escape. Although the other person had no trace of killing intent or bloodlust, an uncontrollable shiver still rose from his heart.

Is this the strength of the demon hunter headquarters? Even a tower master can make me afraid!

Defeating Nova, fighting Ted, killing Koster, and outsmarting Pach, Ye Qi had accomplished these difficult tasks in just one day in Shak. Even with the soul and experience of his previous life and the warnings of John and the merchant, he couldn't help but feel a bit complacent, thinking the demon hunter headquarters was nothing special. However, the genuine fear this sunny-faced young man instilled in him was like a bucket of cold water, instantly sobering him up.

"How boring!" Facing the respectful Ye Qi, the sunny-faced young man shook his head in disappointment and beckoned to Ye Qi, "Follow me! Your confinement room is on the first underground level!"

Without lingering, they passed through a side door in the tower's hall, and Ye Qi followed the sunny-faced young man into the first underground level. As a demon hunter, Ye Qi was used to the dark and damp conditions of tombs and crypts, but the pungent moldy smell mixed with an indescribable stench still made him wrinkle his nose. The sunny-faced young man, however, seemed to be completely unaffected, continuing forward with a light step.

When they reached an iron door, the sunny-faced young man stopped, "Here it is! Now, hand over any non-essential items you have that can provide light or communication... Yes, you'll be staying here for the next week! Someone will bring you a meal at noon every day! If you have no questions, go in!"

"Of course, sir!"

Handing over his phone and other items, Ye Qi nodded and entered the cell where he would spend the next week. As soon as he stepped in, the large iron door behind him slammed shut.

Picking up a candle holder from the wall, Ye Qi examined his cell by the weak candlelight and nodded. Although the smell was unpleasant, it was relatively dry, and there were no rats or bugs. The cell also had a single bed and a toilet, and even without bedding, Ye Qi still felt it was better than the merchant's small room.

Throwing his leather windbreaker onto the bare bed, Ye Qi lay down, closed his eyes, and reflected on the events of the day—everything seemed fine except for the encounter with the sunny-faced young man.

Who is that guy? Although he has no killing intent, just standing there makes me fear him from the bottom of my heart... He can't be that simple...

"Congratulations on your politeness just now! You're really lucky!"

Feeling a slight movement in his heart, the mysterious wolf appeared out of nowhere.

"Is that so?" Ignoring the wolf's congratulatory words, the demon hunter mocked, "Some people who celebrate others' politeness never show any themselves!"

"It seems I'm really not welcome! But don't you want to know why you were so afraid earlier?"

"Afraid? The difference in strength, I have nothing to say about it!"

The demon hunter shrugged, seemingly relaxed.

"Hehe, the difference in strength is no problem! Let's make another deal!"

The wolf once again revealed its cunning nature.