Chapter 31: Irreversible
"Ah, yes," Rong Ye murmured, dragging the words out as if savoring them. "The valuable information I gave you... and look at you now. Almost dead, covered in blood and filth like a run-over dog."
Rong Ye walked slowly around Arthur, hands behind his back, like a teacher examining a failing student.
It had been surprisingly easy to find the old radio hidden in the basement. With the rest of the group busy in the city and unguarded, Rong Ye had had plenty of time to manipulate the device and fine-tune the frequency until he found the Research Center’s. But he didn’t contact Blackwood. Not yet. Instead, he chose to contact Arthur.
He wanted to give Eun-woo one last chance. If the Esper chose him to bond with, then Arthur would no longer be useful, and Rong Ye would have easily discarded him. But that wasn’t the case. Eun-woo rejected him.
And with that rejection, everything changed.
Rong Ye allowed Arthur to come. He cleared the way for him like a rabid dog released from its chain, waiting for him to do what he did best: destroy. With any luck, Arthur could take care of Rhys. Maybe even Caelan. Two fewer obstacles. And then, finally, the path would be clear for him alone.
Now he had him in front of him. Bleeding, broken, and barely alive.
A complete waste.
Rong Ye stopped in front of him, bowing with a poisonous smile.
"So much effort, so much drama," he continued, "and you didn’t even manage to cause a bit of decent mayhem. What a disappointment." Rong Ye’s eyes sharpened. "And to think Blackwood once believed you to be a reliable weapon... I guess we all make mistakes."
Arthur looked at him with a grimace of pain, but it was quickly replaced by a mocking smile. He coughed hard, staining his hand with dark blood.