Huh? That even earned me Negative Emotion Points? And a full twenty points at that?
It seemed the system had its own set of rules for awarding Negative Emotion Points. As long as the chaos, pain, or any sort of negative emotion was caused because of Zane, the system would tally it up and hand over more points.
"Hmm... so by the looks of it, this system is actually encouraging me to stir up trouble, huh?"
Clearly, schemes and manipulation weren't just allowed—they were rewarded. Not only should he cause trouble, but he ought to cause as much of it as possible, and the bigger the better.
Heh, they might as well stop calling it the Negative Emotion Points system and just rename it the Shit-Stirring System.
With that in mind, Zane found himself curious: Would Chris killing one of his own teammates lead to full-blown mutiny within the Vanguard?
After all, that would not only earn him more points—it'd do so at minimal risk.
Unfortunately, the mutiny Zane was hoping for never materialized.
"Are you insane?!" Bart shouted at Chris. "Chris! You attacked him? Our own teammate?!"
"So what?" Chris stared him down, unfazed. "First of all, he disobeyed a direct order and tried to desert. As the squad captain, it's my duty to maintain discipline."
"Second, you all saw that creature just now. You think Jem could've made it out of this cursed castle alive on his own?"
"And as for the rest of you—"
Chris raised his sword, blood still dripping from its blade, and snarled through clenched teeth:
"You've got two options. Either keep moving forward with me—or die like a pack of stray dogs in this place."
"Let me remind you—I still haven't used my trump card. And once I do, it will change the course of this battle!"
"The only reason I haven't used it yet, is because it's meant for that Vampire Duke!"
He reached back and lifted the wooden case strapped to his back, showing it off to the others.
Bart looked at the case and let out a soft sigh. He knew full well that Chris's family did, in fact, possess a relic. And that relic really was powerful enough to turn the tide of a fight.
But the question was… whose fight did Chris intend to change?
Was it the battle between their entire vanguard and the Vampire Duke?
Or just the duel between Chris himself and the Vampire Duke?
Bart wasn't deluded. He had a feeling that he—and the rest of the squad—were all about to become stepping stones on Chris's road to glory.
No one spoke. Silence fell over the team.
Chris looked irritated by the lack of response, so he opened his mouth again.
"For your own sake—and for the sake of your families—you'd better think long and hard about what becoming a deserter will cost you."
Family. The ultimate pressure point—true in any world.
And the moment those words left his mouth, everyone in the vanguard, Bart included, lowered their heads in bitter resignation.
"Move forward, Captain." Bart was the first to nod, looking at Chris. "I just hope that if we fall along the way, the Duchy will treat our families well."
"Of course." Chris smiled with satisfaction. "I swear on the honor of House Larr, if you die as martyrs, your families will receive excellent treatment."
"As for Jem... hehe, the moment he tried to flee, his parents were already doomed to become slaves. If I remember correctly, he also has a sixteen-year-old sister? Haha, if any of you manage to return alive to the Duchy, I think you might have a close encounter with his sister at the military brothel camp!"
Chris's words carried a teasing tone, but not a single person present could find it funny.
On this continent, Nobles were always Nobles, and commoners were always commoners.
Even those who had risen through hard work to become Knights of the Duchy of Winterscar would suffer a tragic fate if they crossed a true Noble.
They understood this. They were numb. They were helpless.
So, the squad kept moving forward, but this time, except for Chris, everyone had abandoned concern for life or death.
Their only hope was that Chris would truly treat their families well if they died in battle, just as he promised.
All of this was being watched by Zane on the city wall.
"That Chris is really damnable! If I were those Knights, I'd band together and kill him first!"
Though he felt some sympathy for those Knights, Zane was no saint.
No matter how pitiful those Knights were, they were his enemies. And Zane was certain that if given the chance, they would chop off his head and present it to their Noble master.
So the plan continued. Thanks to Chris's help, there was now one less Knight to deal with.
But Chris mentioned he had a trump card...
Zane's eyes shifted to the wooden case on Chris's back, and he fell into deep thought.
What kind of trump card could make this big, foolish guy lead his men like lambs to the slaughter, charging into Howling Castle?
Could it be some kind of legendary weapon?
If that were true, Zane was about to hit the jackpot!
Chris and his group reached the drawbridge, but it was raised high, with no sign of lowering.
"Damn it! Cowards!" Chris cursed twice, then glanced down at the green water of the moat.
"Hmm, luckily the moat isn't too wide. Let's find some wooden planks or whatever else we can to see if we can wade across."
Bart looked at the green water in the moat, sighed, and then nodded.
"Alright, two people come with me to gather materials to cross. The rest keep watch."
Just as Bart finished giving the orders, Chris suddenly called out to stop him.
"Wait! Everyone, look at that drawbridge!"
Hearing this, the group turned their eyes toward the drawbridge.
The ancient, pitch-black drawbridge creaked and groaned as it slowly lowered.
And standing on the drawbridge was a tall figure.
That figure was none other than Ghoul Evan, the very same who had just feasted and grown stronger.
"Roar!!!"
Evan let out a bone-chilling low growl directed at Chris and his group.
With that low growl, beside Evan, Chunk of Flesh slowly emerged from the darkness.
Seeing this scene, Chris grinned, weighed his sword in hand, and said to the soldiers,
"Heh, looks like the castle's master finally knows a bit about hospitality."
"Let's go! Let's meet them!"
This time, the Knights' fighting spirit surged. After all, they could finally see their enemy clearly and no longer had to live in constant fear.
As long as they could see their enemies, there was a chance to defeat them!
Chris and his group stepped onto the drawbridge. Chunk of Flesh looked at them with the gaze of one inspecting corpses, then spread his arms wide.
"Welcome… welcome… welcome to your late-night visit to Howling Castle!"
"As a servant of Howling Castle, I humbly represent my master in welcoming your arrival."
Chris pointed his sword angrily at Chunk of Flesh and shouted,
"Tell your master to come out and face death! Don't hide like rats in the sewers, only good at sneaky tricks!"
"Heh." Chunk of Flesh chuckled lightly. "I certainly understand your strong desire to meet our master, but not everyone has the privilege to enter Howling Castle."
"Then we'll just fight our way in!" Chris raised his sword and ordered, "Soldiers! Charge!"
Immediately, Chris led the charge.
The Knights behind him hurried to follow, each bursting forward at incredible speed.
"A bunch of impatient fools."
Chunk of Flesh smiled slightly and said to Evan,
"Little one, show them your strength, but don't forget the master's plan!"
Evan anxiously scratched the stone bridge twice with his claw, signaling he understood everything, then charged toward the Knights like a wild dog unleashed.
This time, Chunk of Flesh did not vanish back into the shadows but calmly stared at the battlefield, waiting for the right moment to strike.
Zane, who had been watching from the shadows, also grew serious.
Although Chunk of Flesh was confident that he and Evan could handle these Knights, to avoid any mishaps, Zane decided to spend his Negative Emotion Points to exchange for a brand-new Talent!