Chapter 69: “The Ear and the Name”
Chapter 69: “The Ear and the Name”
Roderick leaned closer, curiosity overpowering caution.
“The Homunculus is—”
Oliver’s teeth sank into his ear.
It was not just a bite. It was a rip—a vicious, animalistic clamp that tore through cartilage and flesh like parchment soaked in oil. The sound was sickening—crunch, tear, pop—followed by the wet, splattering noise of blood as it erupted in spurts across the floor, painting the grimy concrete in vivid red.
Roderick screamed.
“AARRRGGHHHHH!!”
He reeled back in shock and agony, slamming a hard punch into Oliver’s ribs. The blow was deep and violent—Oliver felt something crack, maybe even snap. A rib. Two. Didn’t matter.
Because he didn’t let go.
He dug in deeper—until with a final gnash of his jaw, the ear ripped free.
Blood sprayed in wild arcs across the warehouse. Slaves ducked. One shrieked. Garron, still hanging by the ankles beside Oliver, froze. His one good eye widened... and then narrowed faintly. There it was—a flash of intrigue, hidden behind a veil of weariness and blood. The kind of smile you only learned to hide in hell.
Roderick stumbled back, clutching the side of his face. His fingers trembled against the mutilated stump where his ear once was. His mind struggled to keep up—between pain and disbelief, rage and humiliation, he didn’t know what to feel first.