Chapter 95 - Not Bad, But Foolish

“Kill him!”That was the only thought in Zack’s mind at the time.

Only by doing so could he alleviate the anger in his heart and compensate for the bullying Danis endured. Although it would cause trouble afterward, he wasn’t afraid; if Danis ended up liking him because of this, it would be a huge win.

Various thoughts filled Zack’s mind, and in the next moment, he was about to draw his dagger and immediately launch an attack.

Just then, Zack’s eyes suddenly narrowed as he saw the seemingly frail Nobel boy’s lips move slightly. The boy stepped forward and was instantly in front of him, then stretched out a hand and pressed it on his own that was gripping the dagger.

This was…

Zack distinctly felt an overwhelming strength on his hand, forcefully pushing back the dagger that was almost drawn.

Then, an even greater force arrived, hurling him directly and smashing him against Cole nearby, violently throwing him to the ground.

This!

Lying on the ground in immense pain, Zack heard a distant voice start speaking, “I’ve wanted to ask a question from the beginning. Um… are you so sure you could handle me?”

“I…” Zack was slightly stunned, having thought he was strong and bullying a child, only to realize at that moment that he was the child being bullied.

This…

“Speaking of which, you really failed at doing something bad. Although it’s a shameful act, your lack of dedication is really not good. At the very least, partners should have arranged the distribution of benefits in advance and determined contingency plans for unexpected situations. Most importantly, you should thoroughly scout your target’s information, the more detailed, the better, and then devise a series of comprehensive plans.

In my view, even doing bad things has to be reasonable. Being a villain isn’t just something you can decide to be. The way you are now, you’re not bad… you’re… dumb…”

Zack, lying on the ground, listened to Richard’s endless cryptic talk and became extremely irritable. Though his body felt shattered, he glanced at Danis, bellowed furiously, and struggled to his feet, throwing his fist toward Richard.

Then, the next moment, a crisp “snap” of a bone fracture echoed, followed by the heavy sound of “thud” as something massive hit the ground, and then continuous screams, “Ah! Ah! Ah!”

The instructive voice paused briefly, then continued.

“Um, while courage and enthusiasm are good attributes, they must be used under the right circumstances and at the right time. Without clear information on the target, you should strive to lie low and preserve your strength at all costs, even if it means bowing down and begging for mercy. The goal is to lower the target’s guard, expose their weaknesses, and then strike a blow that can turn the situation around.

Failure isn’t terrible; stupidity is the most fearful because under stupidity, you don’t even understand why you failed. If there’s a next time, I sincerely hope you become smarter. That way, you’ll know which people not to provoke and whom you can provoke, who will cost too much if provoked, and who would spell your doom.

This is for your good, and mine too. I sincerely wish the world were full of smart people; it would save me a lot of trouble caused by others’ stupidity. Unfortunately, achieving this goal is really a bit difficult, like with you…”

After a while,

Richard stood inside the door and gestured to the people outside to come in.

Having been lectured to the point of doubting their very lives, with bewildered looks in their eyes, Danis, Cole, and Zack Mercenary, felt as if they had received a reprieve. They helped each other up quickly and walked back toward the distant room door.

Among the three, Dan’s injuries were the lightest. During the lecture, she had tried to launch a sneak attack but was slapped to the ground by Richard without any tenderness, her half face swelling up. Other than that, she had no other injuries.

Cole’s injuries were moderate. He too had tried a sneak attack during the lecture, and when he fell to the ground with his dagger, realizing the blade of the dagger was just a few centimeters from his neck, he completely lost the courage to resist. Thus, he could still walk, which was much better than Zack.

Zack’s injuries were severe. Though not life-threatening, he would need a long time to recover normal movements. Even if he recovered well, whether he could maintain his full strength was questionable. This was because, during the lecture, Zack had persistently attempted to attack and resist, only to be slammed to the ground by Richard again and again, until he couldn’t get up anymore. Thus, he was covered in blood, with who knows how many broken bones.

The three of them walked to Danis’s room door. Danis thought for a moment and then said, “Come to my room. I have some potions in my luggage that can treat injuries. I’ll apply some on you.”

“Okay,” Cole responded quickly.

“Ugh…” Zack, who was already unable to speak, made a sound with his tongue sticking out, indicating agreement.

Pushing the door open, the three entered Danis’s room, where Danis quickly fetched a Potion Bottle. She poured out a stinging, brown-yellow potion from the bottle and applied it on the three. Inevitably, the application process touched their wounds and caused severe pain, resulting in muffled groans and twisted expressions; they couldn’t help but complain.

Angrily, Danis was the first to speak, turning to Cole and saying, “It’s all because of you. If you hadn’t brought Zack into this, none of this would have happened.”

“Hmph,” Cole retorted, unconvinced, “Why is it my fault? Even if I hadn’t spoken to Zack, do you think he would have let that kid off? Anyway, that kid really hurt you. Hmph, you probably enjoyed it, didn’t you? Getting your hand squeezed and your face slapped.” His tone was filled with a hint of sarcasm by the end.

Angry, Danis snatched the Potion Bottle from Cole’s hand and retorted, “Yes, I enjoyed it, okay? I like being abused and trampled, so what? The worse the abuse, the happier I am!”

After saying this, whether reluctantly or willingly, Danis closed her eyes as if savoring the pain on her body. A moment later, her body tensed, and then she suddenly shivered and relaxed.

Opening her eyes, the rich flush on Danis’s face had completely overshadowed the handprint, her eyes glazed as she looked at Cole and said softly yet forcefully, “You know, I just realized that I really enjoy this. It feels quite nice. Why don’t you try it?”

Cole stared wide-eyed at Danis, his mouth agape. After a moment, he decisively backed off, muttering, “You’re intense, you’re fierce…”

“Ha ha…”

After a while, Cole remembered something, looked at Danis, and said, “Actually, it’s not your fault, nor mine. It’s all Zack’s fault!”

“Hmm? Zack?”

“Yes, Zack!”

Zack was lying on a bed on one side, unable to move at all, and could only utter ‘ugh, ugh.’ However, upon hearing this, his eyes showed undisguised anger. It seemed that if he could stand up, the first thing he would do was tear Cole apart.

But… he couldn’t.