Master of Lust

"Who\'s next?" Rick\'s voice rang out, dripping with disdain as it shattered the stunned silence that had enveloped everyone present. But despite his outward confidence, even Rick himself couldn\'t help but be shocked by the gruesome fate that had befallen Gruff.

As Gruff relentlessly pounded the wooden shield, the shield\'s power, "Counterstrike Reflection," that he read about in the system had sprung into action of its own. It had absorbed each of Gruff\'s punishing blows, rendering his punches completely ineffective. This explained why Gruff\'s arm had grown progressively weaker and numb with every strike against the shield.

So when Rick had countered with his punch, all the stored energy within the shield had been unleashed upon contact with Gruff\'s chest. The pent-up power and energy surged forth, resulting in a catastrophic collision. The outcome was devastating—Gruff\'s body had been torn apart and obliterated by the unleashed force, leaving behind a gruesome scene of destruction.

Rick couldn\'t help but be overwhelmed by a sickening wave of nausea as he looked at the horrifying aftermath of his punch. Gruff\'s lifeless body lay amidst a growing pool of blood, the sight enough to turn anyone\'s stomach.

Despite the shock and horror threatening to consume him, Rick managed to suppress the urge to vomit. He had not anticipated that a single punch from the shield would result in such a brutal and final end for the man. His intention had been to incapacitate Gruff, not to end his life in such a gruesome manner. As a result, Rick struggled to keep the bile from rising in his throat, the grim reality of the situation weighing heavily on him.

Rick had hoped that Gruff\'s gruesome demise would act as a deterrent, causing the old man and the six remaining men to reconsider their actions. With the girl\'s safety and his own survival at stake, he needed to regain some control over the situation.

But contrary to his expectations, as his disdainful words reverberated through the clearing, he saw a chilling expression on the old man\'s face  —  a look not of anger, but of insatiable greed. They were fixated not on the gruesome aftermath but on the wooden shield clutched in Rick\'s hand.

In that tense moment, it was as if time itself had slowed down. The old man\'s gaze bore into the shield with an unsettling intensity, sending shivers down Rick\'s spine. It was as if the old man had suddenly recognized something of immense value, something he coveted above all else. The seemingly ordinary shield had ignited an insatiable hunger within him.

The minions too, despite their shock at Gruff\'s gruesome end, couldn\'t tear their eyes away from the shield. Its enigmatic power held them spellbound, and they exchanged anxious looks, their faces a blend of dread and fascination.

11:24

The old man\'s gaze finally left the shield, and he fixed it on Rick with a calculating look. A wicked smile twisted his lips, revealing a set of decayed black teeth that added to his sinister demeanor.

"Son," the old man began in a voice dripping with a sinister charm, "It appears you\'ve got something quite remarkable in your hands there." His eyes remained locked on the shield as he continued, "I\'m willing to make you a deal, a little trade if you will. Hand over that shield to me, and I assure you, you\'ll walk away without a scratch. I won\'t even pursue the matter of your little tiff with my man. How about it? I will even do a pinky promise," The old man asked with a grin, displaying his dirty, rotting teeth.

\'Little tiff?\'\' Rick was a bit taken aback by the old man\'s words, \'I just killed your man you fucking bastard,\'

But it also made Rick understand that every one of them present at this moment meant nothing to the old man, not even his own men.

"Pinky promise? Do you think I am some blondy who will spread her legs just because you pinky promise? You sick psycho," Rick retorted, his voice laced with defiance, surrendering the shield was not an option.

The old man\'s smile faltered momentarily at Rick\'s bold retort, but he swiftly regained his composure. "Very well," he responded, his tone taking on a more ominous edge. "If you won\'t give it willingly, then I\'ll have to take it by force."

"I want that shield," the old man declared, his anger simmering just beneath the surface. He turned to his men, his tone threatening, "You fucking morons better not fuck it this time. You know what will happen if..."

"We won\'t!" The leader among the six men still alive cut the old man before he could complete.

With a signal from the old man, all six of his henchmen charged at Rick simultaneously. There was no time for empty threats or boasting; action was their only recourse.

The six men, wasted no time in rushing toward Rick and the girl with a single, shared purpose: to take them down swiftly and without hesitation. The memory of Gruff\'s gruesome demise lingered in their minds, serving as a stark warning. Their strategy was straightforward – move in swiftly, attack aggressively, and eliminate the threat.

In a matter of moments, they closed the gap between themselves and Rick, their faces contorted with a mixture of determination and fear.

But as the henchmen closed in, getting within 30-40 feet of Rick and the girl, a strange and unforeseen event disrupted the impending clash. Suddenly, a dense purple mist materialized seemingly out of thin air, enveloping Rick and the girl completely. They were concealed from sight, leaving the approaching henchmen bewildered and anxious.

The henchmen found themselves surprised and bewildered by the sudden appearance of the mysterious purple mist. Their faces showed a mix of confusion and anxiety, but their initial momentum carried them a few steps closer before they instinctively stopped. As the mist continued to grow, it encroached upon the six men, who exchanged uncertain glances, unsure of how to proceed.

Meanwhile, the purple mist expanded rapidly in all directions, like a creeping wave. It moved swiftly, covering everything in its path, including the six men who had been advancing on Rick and the girl.

The henchmen\'s leader, who had been trailing behind the others, swiftly grasped the dangerous predicament they were facing. He urgently shouted for his fellow henchmen to about-face and make a hasty retreat. Although he couldn\'t comprehend the nature of the strange mist, he understood the importance of avoiding any risks with the boy involved, especially considering the gruesome end of Gruff that they had just witnessed.

Without a moment\'s hesitation, the men promptly heeded their leader\'s command, pivoting around and making a rapid escape.

But just as the six men hastily attempted to turn and flee, a chilling scream pierced through the forest, echoing with sheer terror. One of the men at the forefront had his leg caught up in the insidious mist, and as he attempted to flee, his leg was consumed by the mist, and the gruesome result was exposed for all to see. The mist seemed to devour his flesh, leaving behind a gruesome sight of exposed bone and raw, bloodied tissue, covered in oozing blood.

The relentless advance of the purple mist showed no mercy, as it voraciously devoured everything in its path.  It didn\'t stop at his leg; it devoured flesh, muscle, and sinew with insatiable hunger, leaving only a skeletal appendage coated in glistening blood. And in no time, the man was lost somewhere in the mist. And only his scream of agony echoed through the trees, a harrowing sound that sent shivers down the spines of everyone present. The agony of the first henchman\'s suffering was quickly followed by a chain reaction of torment. One after another, the remaining men in the vicinity began to scream and writhe in unbearable pain.

The horrifying effects of the purple mist on their bodies were nothing short of catastrophic. It transformed their once-healthy forms into grotesque displays of suffering and hopelessness. This cruel transformation resembled a gruesome masterpiece, with each detail more horrifying than the last.

As the mist continued its advance, it callously stripped away their clothing, as if it were melting fabric and fibers like wax. Their garments disintegrated into a sticky residue, leaving the henchmen\'s bare flesh exposed and vulnerable to the unrelenting assault.

Their eyes, once filled with arrogance and determination, now bulged in sheer terror. Wide-eyed and petrified, their pupils dilated to their limits, mirroring the unimaginable horror unfolding before them. Tears mingled with the sweat of their torment, streaming down their faces.

Their skin began to blister and form grotesque, pus-filled sacs that ruptured, oozing dark, viscous fluids. Their facial features twisted in agony, mouths agape in never-ending screams, though the forest remained oblivious to their cries. Their flesh bubbled and sloughed away in gruesome clumps, exposing raw, quivering tissue beneath.

The relentless mist continued to invade every pore and crevice of their bodies, causing flesh to dissolve before their very eyes, laying bare the stark whiteness of bone beneath deteriorating tissue. Muscles and sinews unraveled like frayed threads, creating a macabre tableau of suffering.

The henchmen\'s screams grew increasingly desperate, their voices strained and tortured as they sought salvation from their horrifying fate.

Their limbs grotesquely twisted and contorted in unnatural ways, as if they were puppets manipulated by a malicious force. Fingers and toes disintegrated in gruesome fashion, leaving skeletal digits with exposed tendons. The henchmen clawed at their own bodies in a futile attempt to stop the unrelenting agony.

The forest bore witness to this nightmarish display of suffering. It echoed with the men\'s agonized screams as they endured the excruciating consequences of the purple mist. Every step they took, every effort to escape, only seemed to heighten their torment.

The old man, who had initially regarded the purple mist with greed and ambition, was now immobilized by fear and shock. The boy had one tricks after another on him.

Meanwhile, among the six remaining men, it was the bulky and older leader who survived. He had been at the back of the group and reacted quickly. He turned to flee before anyone could comprehend the nature of the purple mist, but it was still faster than him.

But maybe the fate had something else written for him.  As he sprinted, desperate to avoid contact with the mist, he tripped over something and tumbled to the ground.

Horrified, he watched as the mist closed in on him, ready to envelop him. As he lay on the ground, ready to accept his fate,  he shut his eyes, prepared to meet his end. His only regret was why he had challenged that boy.

He lay on the ground, waiting for the inevitable  to come crawling at him, but to his surprise, he felt no pain. Perplexed, he cautiously opened his eyes and saw that the purple mist had gathered in front of him, completely still. It had halted its advance. He glanced down at his legs and saw that the sole of his shoe had barely touched the mist and was slowly dissolving. Reacting quickly, he removed his shoe and threw it away.

"Hahaha..." The man chuckled, utterly perplexed by his unbelievable stroke of luck. He had narrowly escaped death by a hair\'s breadth, and it was nothing short of astonishing.

With a mix of delight and smugness, he turned to the old man, who stood motionless, his eyes wide in bewilderment.

"Master... Hahaha... I\'m alive, Master... Hahahaha..." The man shouted triumphantly to the old man.

But before the old man could react, Rick\'s voice emerged from the mist. "Now... Do it."

The man was surprised to hear Rick\'s voice. As he tried to locate Rick within the mist, a white blur suddenly materialized out of nowhere and struck the man on his back. Normally, such a blow would have meant nothing to him, but since he wasn\'t paying attention to his back, he lost his balance and leaned forward.

With shock and horror in his eyes, the man began to fall forward, watching helplessly as the purple mist crept closer and closer to his face.

"Oh,  Fuck!"

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[A/N: Do vote, leave a comment, send me golden tickets and bring up some gifts. Also, don\'t forget to read my other story, \'The Devil\'s Harem\'.]