Sharv’s words made even his Master raise an eyebrow. She wanted to see what exactly he planned to do, so she withdrew the pull of her gravitational power from the executioner.

  The man felt the crushing weight vanish from his body. A breath of relief escaped his mouth, and then...

  Crack!

  “Ahhh!!!”

  Sharv twisted both of the man’s arms behind his back and snapped them like dry twigs.

  The executioner screamed in raw agony. But Sharv wasn’t satisfied.

  Twist! Twist!

  Crack! Crack!

  He kept twisting his arm, around his back in swift, merciless motion, cracking every bone in his arm.

  “GRAHHHHH!!!!”

  Blood exploded across the floor like a burst dam from his twisted and ripped muscles.

  The executioner’s eyelids fluttered, ready to shut from the unbearable pain.

  Tak! Tak!

  Sharv jabbed the vital points on his shoulders, halting the blood flow just enough to keep him alive. Then...

  Poke!

  Sharv jammed some small needles deep into his fresh wounds, forcing him to stay conscious.

  “AHH!!!—Y-YOU FUCKING BASTARDDDD!!! ASSHOLE!!!”

  His howls echoed against the dungeon’s walls like the cries of a dying beast.

  By now, the executioner understood; Sharv had no intention of letting him live.

  This would not end quickly. This would end horribly.

  Dam!

  Sharv kicked him brutally in the face. His expression was utterly empty, devoid of rage, pity, or hesitation. Just hollow stillness.

  Seeing that face made the executioner’s blood freeze.

  He’d only ever seen that expression on corpses but this boy… this boy was alive.

  Shiver!

  ‘T-The…hell?’

  Sharv crouched down with deliberate slowness and picked up two nails with a surgeon’s precision, and then looked straight at the executioner's face; towards his eyes...

  ’!!!!!!’

  The executioner seemed to understand what was coming, his pupils contracted, and face turned pale.

  “N-No… NO! Wait!...please don’t—PLEASE! I BEG YOU!”

  But Sharv didn’t react. No shift in his face. His eyes were black, expressionless.

  As he moved closer, the executioner shivered and tried to crawl away from Sharv.

  But his speed was slow, and Sharv was ready with those nails.

  Churr!!

  Sharv slowly poker his eyes with those nails!

  “AHHHHHHHHHH!!!”

  The executioner screamed like an animal as both of his eyes burst under the pressure of the nails.

  Hot blood streamed down his cheeks as the world around him went black forever.

  He screamed like crazy inside the prison, but who would even come here?

  Everyone outside knows that this is a torture area, hearing these kind of screams are normal for them.

  ‘Sharv… I think that’s enough. He’s done.’

  Vijay’s voice trembled.

  ‘Uh... It was just getting fun.’

  His Master spoke with an unsettling delight.

  She had been watching every moment with hungry amusement. She found Sharv’s ruthlessness… beautiful.

  Vijay, however was conflicted, he didn't hate bloodshed.

  He knew after becoming a spirit that sometimes, things could only be solved with the help of violence.

  Not everything could be done with peaceful talks.

  But Watching Sharv mutilate the man had been hard enough; he’d shut his eyes and ears halfway through, struggling to stomach it.

  “Fine. We need to leave anyway. Let’s finish this.”

  ‘Tch.’

  Sharv’s Master clicked her tongue, clearly disappointed. She would have loved to see more.

  But Sharv wasn’t done. He walked to a corner of the cell, grabbed a pile of dry hay, and dumped it over the screaming, blind, executioner.

  The man twitched and shuddered, sensing what was coming.

  The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  Sharv picked up two knives, grinding their blades together.

  Chin!!! Chin!!!

  His Master’s eyes narrowed, a smirk curling on her lips.

  Vijay didn’t understand at first. When it clicked, he groaned, pressing his palm to his forehead, then turned his back to the scene.

  Chin!!!

  Sparks leapt from the grinding blades, catching the hay. Flames began to spread slowly, greedily, licking their way toward the man’s legs.

  When the executioner felt the heat, the realization hit him like ice water.

  “NO! Please—PLEASE! PLEASE! PLEASE!—Put it out! PUT IT OUT!!!”

  Sharv didn’t move.

  He didn’t speak.

  He simply watched, expressionless, pitiless, as the flames crawled up his flesh.

  His Master watched too, enjoying every second. While Vijay turned his face around and closed his ears.

  The man’s screams tore through the dungeon. His flesh blistered and blackened as fire consumed him alive.

  He cursed Sharv, spat blood, begged, howled.

  His voice grew hoarse… then weaker… until it broke into a final, wet gurgle. In moments, the executioner was nothing but a burned husk.

  “Let’s go.”

  Sharv said coldly, turning his back on the charred corpse.

  But just then, Sharv's Master suddenly threw her hand toward the prison wall. Her hand pierced through the stone as if it wasn’t even there.

  ‘Got you.’

  She muttered, then pulled her hand back.

  Sharv and Vijay’s brows rose sharply at what they saw, she was holding the spirit of a old man.

  But…

  “Why is its negative energy so weak?”

  Sharv asked curiously. The spirit’s energy was faint, so faint even he could barely sense it.

  It struggled to free itself from the Master’s grip, but she didn’t let go, tightening her fist around its soul like an iron cage.

  ‘This is a newborn spirit.’

  Vijay said to Sharv.

  His Master also added,

  ‘Yes, it’s newly formed. It’s only a black spirit right now. It doesn't have Death prana, so its negative energy is still way too weak for you to sense properly.’

  ‘P-please… let me go!’

  The old man’s spirit begged her.

  ‘Huh? Let you go? You were spying on us, and we should just let you walk away?’ she scoffed.

  ‘I-I meant no harm… I just wanted… my peace… I hid here to watch…’

  The spirit's eyes drifted toward the charred remains of the executioner. Sharv understood immediately.

  ‘That executioner must have been the one who killed him…’

  The man had lingered here, watching the monster who ended his life burn to death. That was his revenge. That was his peace.

  Vijay and the Master seemed to come to the same realization. When the ghost offered no resistance anymore, the Master let go of him.

  The spirit dropped to the floor, then slowly knelt before Sharv.

  ‘Child… I am deeply grateful to you. You’ve calmed the fire in this old man’s heart. You’ve given my soul peace.’

  “…”

  ‘I heard you wish to leave this place. Don't you? I can help you. When I was alive, I worked here. I know this whole place. My time is short… but before I go, this is the last thing I can offer as repayment for your mercy!’

  Sharv’s interest sharpened.

  He wanted to escape, but lacked knowledge of this place, which made it dangerous.

  “Then tell me. How do I get out of here?”

  The old man’s spirit spoke,

  ‘Right now, you’re in a basement. To escape, you must first get out of this underground cell, which is very easy you just need to go to the main door. It's only some 100 steps away from this cell. At the main door, two guards are posted. Once you get through, you’ll be inside a great building named, Death Hall.’

  “…”

  ‘There are three exits from Death Hall: two in front, one in the back. The front is heavily guarded. The back is lightly watched. Take the back exit. You’ll have the best chance there. Then after that it's just a mountains which you need to cross then, you'll be out of this area. But be careful because there is some kind of entrance trial going on, for new recruits on that mountain. So you may bump into some people, but that route is still better than the fro...’

  The spirit kept talking, explaining Sharv almost everything that he knew. From him he got some useful info.

  First, he's really inside the base of Crimson Heaven Society.

  Second, he's at a place called Death Hall.

  Third, there is some sort of entrance trial going on the nearby mountain.

  Last but not the least, the Death Hall's Leader is not present in the building right now, that means it's perfect time for escape.

  “...Death Hall?... Crimson Heaven Society?... Entrance Trials...”

  Sharv muttered, then looked back at the spirit, and said in a warm tone, “Thank you… for telling me all this.”

  ‘No… thank you. You brought peace to my soul. I’m only repaying your kindness.’

  Sharv knew what would happen next. The ghost had fulfilled his final wish. Soon, it would pass on to ascend.

  Normally, Sharv would try to turn any spirit he met into a servant. But a spirit that had already found peace? That was worthless to him.

  “Haa…”

  He let out a slow breath. The old man pressed his palms together in gratitude.

  ‘Now I shall go… I’ll pray tha...’

  Before he could finish, Sharv interrupted.

  “Actually, there’s one more thing you could do for me. It would actually make me… very happy.”

  ‘I wish I could, bu...’

  In an instant, Sharv’s hand wrapped around the spirit's throat.

  ‘W-What are you doing?!’

  Sharv didn’t answer. He dragged the old spirit toward his Master and Vijay and said in a cold tone,

  “Here. Take his energy. Both of you.”

  ‘!!!!’

  The old man’s eyes went wide in terror.

  Take… his energy?

  He’d only been a spirit for a short time, but he understood what that meant.

  ‘But what good will this weak soul’s energy do for us?’

  His Master asked. Vijay also added with a sad tone,

  ‘Yeah. And he’s already at the threshold of ascending. Is it even worth it?’

  For a moment, the old ghost felt a flicker of relief. But it died instantly with Sharv’s next words.

  “I don’t care how weak his energy is. If it exists, it has value to me.”

  Silence fell. Vijay and the Master exchanged glances. They’d assumed Sharv would let this spirit go.

  It wasn’t strong. It doesn't have death prana. It couldn’t be bound. It was just had Lunar energy, within him that too in very small amount.

  And yet he wants them to take his last remaining energy?

  ‘…T-This isn’t right! The old man’s already dead, and he’s at the gate of release. If we do this, t-t it's like violating the natural order itself!’

  Vijay said. Sharv tilted his head slightly.

  “So what? If breaking nature makes us stronger… then why shouldn’t we?”

  ‘…’

  “Don’t you want to fulfill your own last wish? Vijay?... Don’t you want to see your disciples again?”

  Vijay froze. His jaw clenched. Then slowly, he nodded.

  Sharv continued,

  “If you want that, then help me grow stronger. So I can take my revenge… and reunite you with them as soon as possible... You need to be strong to show your usefulness to me.”

  Vijay clenched his fists hard, torn between disgust and desire.

  Meanwhile Sharv's Master frowned her brows and tilted her head a little.

  Earlier she was enjoying the torture of that executioner, but not now. She kind of understood why Sharv was going to this extent.

  The first reason was that, he really wants to get powerful faster, by any means possible. And by making his spirit servants powerful he'll too become powerful indirectly.

  And the second is not a really a reason but a warning.

  To both Vijay and herself. This is his way of saying, that he doesn't gives a shit about their final wish or revenge. He can just dispose of them too, like the old man if he finds them useless.

  ‘Haa!’

  The Master took a deep breath and stepped forward to push Vijay lightly saying,

  ‘Come on. Stop wasting time. The boy’s right. We need power.’

  ‘B-but’

  ‘Tch! You lowly spirit. Just do it.’

  In the end, Vijay gave in. He hated himself for it… but he complied.

  ‘N-No! Please… don’t! Let me go!’

  The old man struggled in Sharv’s iron grip, desperate to escape.

  ‘Please! I’ve done nothing to you! Let me have my final peace!’

  But Sharv said nothing. A faint smile twisted his lips. His eyes were void of mercy. Vijay and Master placed their hands on the old spirit's chest.

  Chikkk!!

  A sickening sound tore through the air.

  Whoooong!

  The spirit’s energy surged outward, being sucked into their souls.

  ‘Gwahhhhhh!!!!’

  The old man screamed, his voice raw with betrayal and agony.

  First, he’d been killed by the executioner. Then, after finding vengeance, on the verge of peace, he was betrayed again, and devoured.

  His body grew weaker and lighter. Small cracks spread across his spectral form like broken glass.

  Pshttttt!

  He shattered, fragmenting into tiny motes of fading light before vanishing completely.

  [20 - Sep - 2025, MONDAY]

  Happy Diwali...

  Next chapter will came straight on Friday, I'm skipping Wednesday just for this week.