Chapter 33: Cooperate obediently, and you won't have to suffer any punishment.

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The vast Fallingstar Port had four docks in all.

Victor was the supervisor of Dock One.

The title of supervisor might not sound particularly impressive, but in truth, it made him the port’s highest-ranking official, dealing directly with the Governor’s Office and wielding considerable authority.

As a result, the positions of the four dock supervisors had been decided only after the many noble families of Fallingstar Port had weighed and balanced their interests against one another.

Victor was an illegitimate son of the family behind the Governor’s Office, making him part of the governor’s faction.

But...

“Work myself to death in this supervisor’s position, laboring tirelessly and sacrificing everything for the legitimate heirs—is that truly what I want?”

Inside a private room in the dockmaster’s office, Victor stared at his reflection in the mirror. He looked as plump as a fat pig, and he muttered in a voice only he could hear.

“No!”

“My future shouldn’t be confined to this place!”

“Just because we were born into different circumstances, must I be nailed here for the rest of my life?”

“I refuse to accept this!”

“So...”

He lowered his head and looked at the conch in his hand, his fingers curling and tightening unconsciously.

In the past, Victor had been unwilling to resign himself to his fate. Yet within that immense “web” woven from status, connections, wealth, and countless other factors, no matter how desperately he struggled, it had all been in vain.

To break free of those restraints, he needed absolute power—power that stood above the web.

And now, he was drawing ever closer to possessing such power...

Thinking of the order he had received yesterday, Victor’s expression darkened.

The Black Beast’s return posed a tremendous threat to him.

If the special forces the Empire was about to dispatch discovered them, he would certainly die.

He admitted that he was a man who feared death.

Rather than pinning his hopes on the Black Beast leaving the day after tomorrow, it would be better to strike first...

The Black Beast’s captain, a Gold-Rank powerhouse, was indeed extraordinarily formidable.

But Fallingstar Port was no pushover. With proper arrangements, it might not be impossible for the port’s powerful professionals to drive the Black Beast away—or even destroy it entirely.

“I’ll negotiate with the Black Beast one more time tomorrow.”

“If they still refuse to leave, then I’ll have no choice but to use other methods.”

Although they had agreed on three days, Victor had no intention of waiting that long.

For one thing, it would make him appear useless. For another, every passing day increased the danger.

Having made up his mind, Victor went to the desk and began drafting a letter.

Driving out and defeating the Black Beast’s captain would require him to mobilize many connections. He needed to make his arrangements in advance.

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But he had barely sat down when a knock sounded at the door.

“Who is it? Didn’t I say not to disturb me at night unless it’s something important?”

“If you can’t give me a good reason, you’d better be prepared to be punished!”

Victor was irritated at having his train of thought interrupted.

He had just risen to his feet when he suddenly sensed that something was wrong.

By custom, after knocking, the guards would first announce their names and briefly explain what they had come to report.

But now, after the knock, no voice followed.

Instinctively, he raised a hand and gripped the hilt of the knight’s longsword at his waist.

As a man who feared death, Victor never allowed himself to be without a weapon.

The next second—

“Bang!”

The door was smashed open with brutal force, as though a charging bull had slammed into it. Splintered wood flew everywhere, and several shards even grazed Victor’s face.

His expression changed dramatically. Without hesitation, he drew his sword and slashed forward.

Because of his status, Victor had never been permitted to advance to the Black Iron rank, but the swordsmanship foundation he had built in his youth remained. The timing and speed of that strike were both worthy of praise, proving that he had never secretly neglected his training over the years.

Yet before the blow that had shattered the wooden door, his resistance appeared childish and laughable.

The instant the swords met, Victor’s feet left the ground. Then, like some foolish object standing in the path of a steam locomotive racing at full speed, he spat blood and was sent flying backward, crashing heavily into the wall.

Amid the swirling splinters, Victor slid down the wall and dropped to his knees. There, he saw the face of a young man.

“You?!”

Overwhelmed by shock, Victor could not stop himself from crying out.

“Good evening, Supervisor.” Mowen’s tone was impeccably polite—if one overlooked the longsword he had just lowered.

“Why?”

Victor could not understand.

Had the Black Beast’s crew attacked him?

Were they insane? Without his protection, those men would have long since been exposed to the Empire’s scrutiny!

Besides, by attacking him, they were slapping the face of the lord behind the scenes. Did the Black Beast intend to give up its “cargo” from now on?

Seeing Victor’s expression, Mowen shook his head.

“Judging by that look, you don’t recognize me.”

“I mean, you don’t recognize who I was before I became a member of the Black Beast’s crew.”

Confusion appeared in Victor’s eyes.

He had handled so much “cargo.” How could he possibly have verified every single person?

In fact, to avoid excessive contact with the Black Beast, he had not even been the one to deliver the “cargo.”

Seeing this, Mowen felt slightly bored.

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“What other tricks do you have? Use them.”

“Otherwise, I’m going to kill you.”

From the other man’s soft chuckle, Victor sensed unmistakable killing intent.

At that moment, a surge of fury rose in his heart.

If the other party wanted money or some other condition, Victor could agree to anything. Compared with his own life, none of those things mattered.

But the other man wanted nothing except his life?

If that was the case, Victor could no longer afford to hold back...

“Hah... hah... You—you can go to hell!”

As he panted, the fat on his body began to shrink at a visible rate. A layer of coarse black hair spread across his skin.

Seeing this, Mowen merely smiled.

“Now, Little S. Go.”

In the shadows, an orange-yellow flame suddenly flared to life.

A sharp arc of swordlight came wrapped in fire.

Victor had no time to react. A massive wound was carved across his chest, stretching from his shoulder to his lower abdomen.

Because of the thick layer of fat beneath his skin, such a huge gash did not cause him to lose much blood.

What terrified him beyond measure was that the transformation he had regarded as his trump card had failed at this crucial moment!

The black hair withdrew into his body, and the fat on his frame ceased to diminish.

Victor collapsed onto the floor, trembling uncontrollably with fear.

A shadow fell over him from the front.

Mowen bent slightly at the waist and looked down at Victor. He raised a hand and gave him a “friendly” pat on the shoulder, smiling as he said, “Now, I believe we can have a proper conversation.”

“...Yes, sir. Please... go ahead.”

Victor swallowed audibly.

Having lost his trump card, he no longer possessed the courage to resist. From the other man’s words, it seemed that he merely wanted to ask a few questions. That gave Victor a glimmer of hope for survival.

Mowen nodded in satisfaction.

He liked “spineless men” like this.

After all, when dealing with someone who had principles, he would have to go to the trouble of torturing them. It caused pain to the victim and exhausted the torturer. Why bother?

“The question I want to ask is very simple. If you answer truthfully, I might even spare your life.”

The smile on Mowen’s face remained unchanged.

“Who performed the rust-element mutagenesis on you?”

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