World's Best Protagonist [BL]-Chapter 52: Released

"I thought you had changed somehow. I was thinking that you grew some heart inside that empty shell of yours, and you finally see the beauty and wonders of being alive. But I guess I was wrong."

"..."

"Still the same apathetic, inhumane, cold-hearted boy you are."

"..."

"Jean would be very sad if she saw you like that."

Laughter. After several minutes of silence and his monologue, that was my first response to his bullshit.

It started low, and breathy, then grew louder, sharper, and filled with mockery. My throat burned from the scent of blood still lingering in the air, but I no longer care.

The maid’s corpse lay on the floor, her blood splashed on the sofa’s surface and tainted the carpet. No one spared her a second glance as if dead bodies lying on the ground were the norm inside that eerie mansion.

"Using a dead person’s name won’t work on me, old man."

I looked at my father’s eyes with nothing by pure contempt.

"What, did you think I’d suddenly swear my loyalty to you just because you mentioned my mother’s name? Why, I might consider if you parade your naked pimpled butt and your non-existent balls in the street instead."

I spat onto the floor, sneering. "Act like the pathetic excuse of a human you are."

Sergio’s smirk twitched, but he remained silent, his fingers drumming against his knuckles. It was Diego who reacted violently in that provocation. He slammed me to the floor. My knees hit the tiles hard, but I didn’t even groan or wince.

I merely chuckled in response to that threatening glare Diego gave me.

"Tell me, old man," I continued, pushing myself up straighter, ignoring the sharp pain in my knees, arms, and shoulders.

"Do those things in the tubes actually work? You call them ’awakened’, giving them chances in life," I laughed sarcastically. "But I bet they’re nothing more than failures. Broken experiments with powers so unstable they’d drop dead before they could even scratch a real awakener."

I tilted my head, watching for his reaction. "You’re deluding yourself you’re creating an empire of strong knights, but they’re just fucking dummies."

The room tensed. Diego stiffened beside me, Norman’s hands twitched, and the other bastard whose name I didn’t know bad murder in his eyes.

Aha. These fucking little shits used to be inside those tubes. Good. Let them get mad. Let them snap. If they intend to kill me with their fake powers, my ability will automatically nullify it anyway.

Do I still have to hide it? Or should I slap my father with the truth that I’ve awakened, one with a unique and rare ability at that? What’s the best thing to do, Jade?

I believe in you. You always choose the right thing to do.

The best thing is to use it against them, once they attack, to survive. But that’s not the right thing to do, isn’t it?

Sergio remained eerily calm. "You always did have a sharp tongue," he murmured. He sighed, shaking his head. "I’m giving you an opportunity to be part of a greater cause. A world that belongs to only the strong, Jade. But you’re just too stubborn."

"I’m not interested in that kind of world. I belong here."

He’s talking about a new world? Don’t tell me he is—

"You don’t belong anywhere, Jade. You’re just a stray dog barking at wolves, thinking your noise means something."

I faked a slow, mocking laugh, but my mind was occupied with something else. I need him to talk more about his cause. "And you’re just a washed-up old man playing god in his oversized dollhouse, hoping that if you experiment enough, you might finally create something worth a damn."

The moment those words left my lips, I knew I had struck deep.

Sergio’s eyes darkened. The air in the room tensed. Then, he smiled.

"My son. Everything I have done so far is worthy of the highest recognition. The people you see are proof of it. And let me show you what strength is," he murmured. His eyes sparked.

Then, the world burned.

Heat slammed into me like a living beast, roaring and consuming everything in its path. Flames erupted from Sergio’s hands, twisting and snarling as they lashed toward me.

Instinct took over—I threw myself backward, barely avoiding the first wave. The heat kissed my skin, blistering it in an instant. I hit the floor hard, rolling, trying to smother the flames licking at my clothes.

Too fast. Too strong.

"That is what weakness feels like, son."

I gritted my teeth and forced myself up, ignoring the way my vision blurred.

Move. Move, damn it. And why the heck of all abilities there is, it’s something visible? If I tried to nullify it, I’d be discovered easily.

Another wave of fire surged toward me. I darted sideways, but agony tore through my leg as the flames grazed me. The smell of burning flesh hit my nose, and bile rose in my throat.

He didn’t stop. The fire twisted around me, caging me in. Each movement sent fresh pain lancing through my body. My skin screamed, my lungs burned, my strength—fuck—it was leaving me.

I stumbled. Then, the flames struck full force. There was no mercy. Agony. It swallowed me whole.

Yet, my cheat skill was not activated, which means he did not intend to kill me with that attack. He only wants me to suffer.

As suddenly as it came, the fire disappeared.

The room fell into silence, save for my ragged breathing. The floor beneath me was scorched black. I couldn’t move.

Footsteps. Slow, deliberate, came around.

Then, a boot pressed down on my chest, pinning me like a bug beneath his heel.

He crouched down. "Look at you, son. Helpless. Pitiful. Just like every other weakling in this world. I can help you become strong."

With all my remaining strength, I raised my hand and showed him my middle finger.

He chuckled, his eyes gleaming with sick satisfaction. "I don’t even need to raise another finger to kill you, Jade. You’re already on the brink of death. Yet you’re still prideful and foolish. Tsk. I’ve wasted time for nothing."

I blacked out after that.

The next time I opened my eyes again, the sound of chirping and a distant murmur of voices reached my ears.

Pain was the first thing I registered, sharp and suffocating. It means I’m alive. Did he take pity on me because I’m his son, or does he have another plan set for me? My body felt like it had been through hell because of that.

Eleven years passed and he still thinks I’m his possession. Fuck him. Fuck everyone working for him.

The scent of flowers, incense, and something sickeningly sweet filled the air. I looked up, the golden glow of morning light blinding me for a moment. The sun had risen.

Then, I realized I was lying on the pavement, just outside the funeral hall. I was dropped there like a corpse waiting to be buried.