Testing the technique (2)

Sebastian prowled the city's underbelly, scanning his surroundings for any sign of the Cobalt Serpents' gang members.

The night draped the streets in shadows, the perfect camouflage for his hunt. Yet fortune did not favor him this time.

The familiar haunts of the gang were mysteriously devoid of activity.

<I bet they are searching for me or terrified.>

There was no doubt about it. At first, Sebastian refrained from killing them, but in order to refine his new technique, he began doing so. The number of gang members he killed totaled ten.

<Well, at least they died for a good reason.> He thought for a second. <Yeah. To help me find a technique to up my kill count, hahaha.>

He found it hilarious. Sebastian couldn't give a damn about those guys.

<Now, now, let the hunt for my darling piggies start!>

Sebastian moved through the alleys and back streets with a predator's grace, each step silent and calculated.

Despite his diligence, the Serpents seemed to have vanished into the night, leaving Sebastian to wander the labyrinth of the city with no prey in sight.

Frustration gnawed at him as his search through the city's veins yielded nothing but the cold, unwelcoming embrace of its empty streets.

"Fucking fuck! Where are you?" he said under his breath, his voice full of irritation.

Yet, he persisted, driven by an unyielding resolve. And it was in that moment that fortune finally smiled upon him. Two members of the Cobalt Serpents came into view.

A grin sliced across Sebastian's face, his eyes sparking with a mad glint that showed his excitement.

He rubbed his hands together and couldn't help but let out a comment. "Well, if it isn't my birthday and Christmas rolled into one. Who knew my wish list only needed a pair of serpents to be complete?"

While approaching the two gang members with stealth, he noticed their arrogance, an air of invincibility that seemed almost ingrained.

However, beneath their bravado, Sebastian detected a hint of caution, a subtle hint in their attitude that suggested they were on edge, perhaps aware of the rumors of someone hunting their group.

Their guarded stance did little to deter him. If anything, it stoked the flames of his anticipation.

Here, at last, were his elusive "piggies," and he was all too eager to test his technique.

As Sebastian closed the distance between them, the gang members' eyes locked onto his approaching figure, their hands slipping into their pockets with caution.

Sebastian didn't miss that subtle hint. Their actions showed they were reaching for concealed weapons.

<Ah… this makes things even funnier,> he grinned.

Sebastian's eagerness grew because of this gesture. Their fear made the encounter more exciting.

Sebastian's grin grew wider, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.

"Who are you?" One of them asked.

"Oh, me? I came to get some of your stuff!"

"Didn't you hear the news? We are not selling anything until you fuckers find the target."

<Ah? They asked the drug addicts to search for me?>

His grin widened. "Ah, fortune smiles upon thee! For behold, the very wretch thou seek'st, 'tis I!"

The two looked at each other with a confused look. "What the fuck did you just say?"

"Ah, forgive me! I said that the guy you are searching for is me!"

As he said those words, Sebastian lounged. While he didn't need a weapon, he had the means to kill these guys with the same ease.

Sebastian made the closest gang members blind by inserting his fingers into his eye sockets.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" the man screamed. Sebastian previously discovered a method to conserve his mana, allowing him to cast his Cinder Blast spell using less energy.

Despite reducing the flame and damage, it remained lethal when used effectively.

"Thun." Sebastian said, and his fingers became searing hot while still being in the man's head.

At the same time, the other gang member took out his knife and lunged at Sebastian. Of course, he used the other screaming gang member as a meat shield.

"AAAAAAAAAAAH!" the man screamed, but soon after, he ceased. He and the other gang member understood what happened.

The man started running away. Sebastian's ruthlessness terrified him. He was a gang member, that was true, but he was nothing more than a hoodlum.

Before the man could leave, Sebastian threw the dead body onto him, causing the gang member to trip and fall.

At the same time, Sebastian used his technique, and in a fraction of a second, he absorbed the mana that was being released from the dead man's body.

"AHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH! IT WORKS! IT WORKS!"

Those words clearly struck a chord of terror within the surviving man, for he swiftly turned to look at Sebastian and understand where he was.

Fear coursed through him, but curiosity also sparked in his eyes. His curiosity, fueled by survival instincts, pushed him to determine the true level of danger behind him.

What he saw sent shivers down his spine. A man with a wild grin and a crazed look in his eyes stood before him. But it wasn't just the look that frightened him; it was the way the man stared at him, as if he were nothing more than a piece of meat.

"STOP!"

Sebastian quickly subdued the man. He wanted to see. Sebastian wanted to see if he really absorbed mana from the already dead man.

"THUN."

Fiery flames appeared from Sebastian's hands. They wrapped him in a wrathful cloak, engulfing his hands in scorching heat.

Sebastian the grabbed the man's face. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Those screams, while haunting to any ordinary ear, were music to Sebastian—a symphony of chaos that he conducted with a wild, unhinged delight. His eyes glinting in glee seeing the pain he was causing.

The alley was filled with a sinister melody as his laughter and the cries of agony harmonized with the flickering flames emanating from his hands.

This moment, to him, was not one of horror, but rather a climactic scene in the twisted narrative he had meticulously crafted.

His eyes burned with a crazed intensity, mirroring the flames dancing from his hands, while his grin widened, showcasing the depths of his deranged mind.

"IT WORKS! IT WORKS!"

The flames grew stronger and did more damage after absorbing mana from the two gang members.