Chapter 193: Freeloader Devil?
The slaughterhouse, the execution ground.
The cruel "performance" continues.
After a period of careful polishing, the work of the chief pirate has yielded results.
The muscles and fascia on the prisoner's calves had been shaved clean, and complex patterns had been carved on the white leg bones: curled tentacles and waves were entangled, the patterns were delicate and dense, and had a Planck-like artistic atmosphere.
"Please let me go...I'm really not a leader." The prisoner begged with his last bit of strength.
"But you were disrespectful to Captain Gangplank." The pirate used his fingers to fiddle with the bone chips on the blade, his expression indifferent.
The prisoner collapsed. He was just an ordinary fisherman. He didn't know how he had offended Captain Planck.
"Captain Planck said you were the leader, and you dare to say you're not."
"Isn't this a death sentence?"
During the conversation, the prisoner closed his eyes in despair. The chief pirate also completed his work.
He admired it for a while, then left the dying prisoner aside to die.
Of course, at the same time, he did not forget the audience's reaction:
The fishermen in the audience were all terrified, and when they saw him looking at them, they lowered their heads and avoided his gaze unconsciously, just like a group of frightened rats.
Very good, this is exactly the effect that Lord Planck wanted.
The pirate in charge chuckled and turned back to wave to the other pirates:
"Next."
Who should I choose next? The next one...
"It's you!" He suddenly shouted angrily, and the boning knife in his hand was snatched away from behind.
"Who?!" The pirate turned his head angrily.
As a result, when he turned around, he saw his headless body.
The head rolled down and landed next to a quiet girl with glasses and pigtails.
Lina threw away the bloody boning knife and kicked the head away in disgust.
The headless corpse then fell to the ground with a thud, and blood gushed out of her neck like a fountain, staining her leather boots red.
"You..." The pirates were all stunned.
They were all shocked.
They couldn't believe it:
How dare someone rob Captain Gangplank's execution ground in Bilgewater?
"Looking for death!" The pirates raised their muskets and drew their sharp blades murderously.
These desperate criminals certainly wouldn't be afraid of a little girl, even a little girl who could chop off a person's head with one blow.
However...Lina just waved her hand, and a strange puddle suddenly appeared on the ground.
Seeing this, the pirates who were rushing forward stopped in a hurry.
But it was too late.
They did not fall into the puddle, but a huge tongue suddenly popped out from the puddle. It was as thick, slender, flexible and swift as a giant sea python.
"Giant Tongue Lash!"
It was like a giant tongue summoned out of thin air by magic, and with one sweep it knocked more than a dozen pirates away.
The pirate standing in front of the giant tongue was directly shot into a two-dimensional creature.
The pirates behind were blocked by the front row of meat shields, and barely managed to save one body. They were blown into the sky by the huge force transmitted, and flew backwards for dozens of meters in the sky before falling to the ground powerlessly like a deflated balloon.
Everyone was shocked for a moment.
"It's a wizard!" But the pirates remained calm.
They followed Gangplank, killed sea beasts, fought undead, robbed Ionian temples, and plundered Noxus' navy.
These desperadoes have long since stopped fearing anything.
"Kill her!" They rushed towards Lina with their fangs bared, and fired dense bullets at her with their guns.
Lina finally felt a little pressure.
The giant tongue flexibly retracted back to her side and coiled around her several times like a python protecting its eggs, protecting her firmly on the flesh wall formed by the giant tongue and blocking the hail of bullets for her.
The pirates' guns were almost bursting with fire, but the giant tongue wall remained motionless.
Even... after a period of passive defense, the giant tongue suddenly bounced forward again - the tongue that originally seemed to be only a dozen meters long, suddenly extended a terrifying distance of several dozen meters.
The pirates originally stood far away, thinking themselves to be quite safe.
But they just blinked and found that their vision was completely occupied by a thick giant tongue that shot out.
"Ahhhhh!!" the desperadoes finally let out a cry of terror.
Just like that, after just a few encounters... dozens of pirates at the execution scene were all dealt with by Lina.
The prisoners, who thought they were going to die, looked at her in shock.
The fishermen who were forced to watch the execution in the audience forgot their original fear and discomfort and cast special looks at her.
"Haha." Tam's laughter sounded in her ears again: "How about it, Lina. It feels good to have power, right?"
"..." Lina didn't want to admit it. But this... was really cool.
She had never stood at the center of the stage like this, like a protagonist and a hero, under the attention of the public.
This feels so good.
"Do you want more?" Tam still tried to sell me: "This little bit of power is just enough for you to save people."
"I can give you more, much more. I can help you defeat Gangplank, overthrow the entire Port of Beagle, and become a hero and idol like your brother~"
"I..." Lina thought for a moment and answered honestly: "I do want more."
"Ha!" Tam was excited.
It turns out that no matter how good the sales pitch is, it is not as good as a trial that satisfies the customer.
This little girl was really fascinated by his power.
"If the situation requires it and the masses need it, I can borrow some more strength from you," said Lina.
Tam: “…”
It’s the situation, it’s the masses…what about you?
"Don't you need strength yourself?!" the demon asked.
Of course she needs it, because she wants to be a hero and get everyone's applause.
Tam knew this better than she did.
"I..." Lina could feel the hidden desire in her heart spreading and growing uncontrollably.
"Don't lie to yourself." Tam laughed again: "I know you like to stand on the high platform, be the savior, and be admired by everyone. Just like now."
He was waiting. Waiting for the prisoners to kneel on the ground and express their gratitude to Lina. Waiting for the fishermen in the audience to show their admiration and worship to Lina.
Because these are what Lina has always secretly desired in her subconscious but has never obtained.
Tam believes that after personally experiencing the feeling of being a hero and being admired, she will become even more addicted.
However……
"You, are you from the Leader?" After being shocked, the prisoners began to ask Lina tentatively.
"Yes, I am the Wind Leader. I am here to save you." Lina answered in a gentle tone.
"..." Then everyone fell silent.
The expected gratitude and admiration almost did not appear.
Some of the prisoners were stunned, some were in panic, and some were in a state of collapse. Only a few had the look of surprise on their faces after surviving a catastrophe.
Lina felt strange.
At this time, a prisoner finally broke down and shouted to her: "What's the point of saving us... If Gangplank knew that we were really related to the Leader, he would kill our whole family!"
Lina: “…”
Not only was she not treated as a hero, she was scolded instead.
Someone asked her pitifully, "Master Mage, can you help me take my wife and children away with me? If I leave them in Port Beacon, they will surely die."
"I..." Lina panicked.
Because the situation was urgent, she had no time to make any complete rescue plan in advance.
Her plan was simple. She would use the power of the devil to rush to the execution platform and kill anyone she could. Then, while Planck's troops were not able to react, she would take the prisoners on board and escape.
As for the families of these prisoners, Planck's cruel and ruthless collective punishment of the fugitives...she had never considered it beforehand, and had no time to consider it.
"Lina, you have to understand that you are proposing a very sudden rescue operation. Sudden means hasty, which means there may be many variables that cannot be controlled."
"This variable could be the erosion of your body by the power of the devil, or it could be something else."
"I can approve your action request and appoint you as the temporary commander of this operation, but the problem is that you also have to take responsibility for it and the possible consequences of the action."
“Lina, do you have this determination?”
Lina couldn't help but think of what Levi had just said to her on the "phone".
At that time, Levi's tone was full of worry. He actually did not approve of his sister risking her life and using the power of the devil to rescue the prisoners.
But she assured Levi without hesitation in a firm tone that she was determined.
Because if she didn't answer quickly or take action quickly, the prisoners would be tortured to death in front of her.
And now...
"Master Mage! Master Mage?" The prisoners were still begging her: "Please take my family with you, they live in Rat Town!"
"And me, my wife, she's in Craigtown."
"My brother works as a servant for a captain in the rich area of the top of the mountain..."
The prisoners named several places in succession, all located in different areas of Bilgewater.
Of course, there was no way Lina could save them.
In fact, she didn't have much time to even stand there and chat with the prisoners.
“Hey, Lina!” Jinx, who was standing on a high place to keep watch, was already anxiously shouting to her, “Gangplank’s lackeys are already heading this way.”
"We have to run!"
Lina: “…”
She gritted her teeth and made a difficult decision: "Let's go, everyone follow me!"
Lina wanted to escape with these prisoners first, and then wait for Levi and Sarah to come to support from the Baru Temple, and then everyone would get together and find a way to rescue their families.
However, only a few prisoners responded to her decision.
Most people are still undecided.
Some people even sat down on the ground and said to Lina resentfully, "If you hadn't distributed those pamphlets to Porto, how could we have been mistaken for leaders and captured here by Captain Planck?"
"You can leave if you want! I won't leave... If I don't leave, Captain Gangplank will probably believe that I've been wronged."
Lina was speechless.
Was she wrong? No. She just saw injustice and wanted to help.
It's just because the situation is too urgent and there is no time to collect intelligence and improve the plan.
Just because...she's not strong enough.
If she was strong enough, she wouldn't have to escape in such a desperate manner, and wouldn't have put the prisoners in the dilemma of whether to survive or protect their families.
"Tam!" Lina suddenly shouted in her heart, "Can you lend me some more strength?"
Tam: “…”
"You don't need the organization's approval now?" the demon asked mockingly.
Lina only replied seriously: "The president has appointed me as the temporary commander of this rescue operation. I can now make decisions on behalf of the organization."
"And all the consequences of this decision..." She clenched her fists with a determined look: "I will bear them all."
The more determined her gaze became...
The fat catfish became even more annoyed: "No!"
"Asshole, do you think this is Zaun's alchemy shop and you can get money as long as you dare to sell yourself?"
"I've already told you, I'm a gourmet! I only eat the souls of debauched people!"
"People like you who only pursue power for the sake of others are enough to make me want to vomit!"
As he spoke, the devil felt a little tired.
It was also the first time he met such a stubborn guy.
Even the ascetics in the Ionian temples cannot control their desires as well as this girl.
He had clearly given her the power she desired most, but she had to report to the organization before even using the power.
"Girl, don't you live for yourself?" Tam asked helplessly.
"I am living for myself." Lina said: "How can I realize my personal value better than realizing the great ideal of Jannaism?"
Tam: “…”
The devil silenced her again.
"Shut up!" Tam simply gave up.
He even stopped using magic to interfere with Lina's will and magnify her desires. Anyway, this trick has never worked.
He just said angrily: "Anyway, I won't lend you any more strength."
"If you want to continue trading with me, don't suppress your desires. Make yourself more delicious, and I might come over to taste you."
"You?!" The situation was reversed.
The devil is not in a hurry to seduce the girl, but the girl is in a hurry to make a deal with the devil.
"Can you lend me some strength first to deal with the emergency? I'll find a way to fall later, okay?" Lina requested urgently.
"Get lost!" Still want to get something for free? No way!
Then, after a period of silent anxiety...
Lina listened to the footsteps of the approaching large group of people, looked at the prisoners whose faces were filled with fear but who still did not dare to escape, and kept calling out to the devil who no longer cared about people in her heart.
"Lina, let's run away!" Jinx also urged her.
"I..." Lina clenched her fists. She really needed strength now.
"Wait..." Suddenly, she seemed to realize something: "I understand! Tam, lend me some more strength!"
"..."The devil was pretending to be offline.
But Lina covered her chest and said frankly: "I think it through, Tam, you are right."
"I shouldn't ignore my desires and pretend they don't exist..."
"Oh?" Tam became interested.
He could feel that the desire in Lina's heart... was indeed sprouting rapidly at this moment.
Because Lina figured it out: "Yes, I am actually vain in my heart, and I always have been."
"When I was studying in Piltover, I tried my best to fit in with the Piltover people. I learned to wear Piltover clothes, put on makeup like Piltover girls, and even dared not touch Zaun food."
After joining the Leader, these characteristics of hers did not disappear out of thin air.
Instead, it was overshadowed by her strict moral demands as a leader.
It’s not that she doesn’t want to do some things, but she doesn’t dare to do them due to her status.
For example, staying in a big hotel.
And now, Lina finally faced up to her own desires:
"Yes, I just want to be a hero. I want to be an idol like Seraphine, and be the perfect sister in everyone's eyes who will not bring shame to my brother, the guild leader."
"I want everyone to adore me and like me! I want to be the hero of the leader!"
"Good!" Tam was delighted.
He could feel that this girl had really "enlightened".
Her desire was running wild in her heart like a wild horse.
"I can agree to your deal and give you another power."
"Last time it was free, this time... um..."
Tam appeared beside Lina, and hungrily stuck out his big tongue, swimming around Lina.
"I'll just take your hair first."
"Let me eat your hair, okay?"
"Sure!" said Lina.
Tam was overjoyed and agreed to the deal immediately.
He injected power into Lina and transferred the "money" into the account.
Then, the demon stretched out his big tongue and licked Lina's hair quickly...
And then, just a little lick:
"Puh, puh, puh!" Tam almost vomited: "Why is this smelly!"
Why? She already has desires...
"Why does it still taste so 'noble' and so disgusting?"
"This..." Lina herself might know.
Because she just figured it out: "Leaders are also human beings. There is nothing shameful in admitting your desires."
"My desire is to be a hero who leads the way, and to gain fame and fortune through my abilities..."
Does doing good things for fame and fortune count as being a trendsetter? In theory, not.
But a gentleman judges by deeds, not by heart.
"As long as I am doing the right thing, as long as I am truly contributing to Janna's cause, even if I am pursuing fame and fortune, I am still on the right track—"
"My desires and the ideals I uphold do not conflict at all!"
