I almost screwed up!

As Luke advanced step by step, Pugsley backed away without taking his eyes off him, his legs shaking like jelly until he eventually stumbled.

He could see in Luke's gaze a fierce killing intent, eyes that seemed to truly consider whether to kill him or not. Or at least that's what Pugsley thought, being used to the cold stare of his sister who often tortured him with her looks, though she always had a line she never crossed.

Luke had no intention of killing Pugsley. Doing so would leave him in serious trouble, very serious trouble. He wasn't an idiot. He already had enough to deal with in facing the Spellmans, and if he added the Addams family to the mix, it would mean the end of the Poe family. Every Poe ancestor, including Edgar, would curse him for eternity.

The only option would be to get Crackstone's demonic book and make a pact with a greater demon to try to wipe out both families.

That damned kid had already tried to kill him several times. Didn't he have the right to kill him? He did, but it would turn all the Addamses against him. No matter that Wednesday was his girlfriend—even she would turn against him for killing her brother, ending their relationship with him. For this last reason alone, Luke would never kill Pugsley. He didn't want to lose Wednesday.

Luke extended his palm toward Pugsley, who was lifted off the ground by an invisible force.

Pugsley tried to break free but was powerless against Luke's telekinetic immobilization, now reaching over five tons and nearing six. He could now immobilize a gorgon like Atlas, though it wouldn't be of much use since he'd need to channel all his telekinetic strength to do it, leaving him unable to deliver a strong enough attack to inflict significant harm.

Pugsley slammed violently against a tree, feeling pain shoot through his back as he was left floating, immobilized against the tree trunk.

"Hmm… Should I leave you in a wheelchair, or maybe a mental attack would be more effective?" Luke wondered aloud.

If he broke Pugsley's legs, it would be a big trauma, but as an Addams who's endured Wednesday's tortures, he'd probably get over it. With the resources the Addamses have, he might even walk again the same day after taking a potion.

Besides, Gomez and Morticia likely wouldn't make much of it—or at least that's what Luke hoped.

Pugsley's face turned even paler upon hearing Luke. Although his sister tortured him fairly often, she never went to such extremes. Luke was overestimating the kind of torture Wednesday put Pugsley through, since he'd never actually witnessed it.

"I suppose I'll go with physical pain," Luke decided after a few moments of contemplation.

An extreme mental attack could be very harmful to Pugsley, who had never suffered such damage to his brain. Breaking his legs seemed better—physical pain he was more used to, or so Luke thought.

Pugsley's hopes vanished when he saw Luke extend two fingers and slowly begin to close them. He felt a force start to press on his left leg.

He never thought his sister's boyfriend was this crazy! Although he's not the best one to talk about madmen, considering that he had tried to kill him several times.

But he figured with Luke's strength and his three auras, he should survive. Based on all the rumors he'd heard, Luke was supposed to be strong.

With his sister, he always played this way, but she never went to such extremes as to break his legs. And Luke seemed intent on doing it slowly—one leg first, then the other, to prolong the pain.

Just then, Wednesday emerged from a shadow.

"Wait, Luke," she said in her usual expressionless tone. She had heard the gunshot and knew her brother was trying something stupid. Fortunately, she arrived in time; otherwise, her brother would have experienced a pain he'd never felt, a trauma that, even as an Addams, would be hard to overcome.

Luke's gaze shifted to Wednesday, less cold than before. Pugsley stopped feeling the force that was about to snap his leg, and he exhaled in relief, though he was still immobilized.

"Give me a reason to stop. He tried to kill me with a damn sniper rifle," Luke said with a hint of impatience.

'Must have been the fault of those two idiots,' thought Wednesday, glancing briefly at the unconscious bodies of her two older cousins.

In his attempts to kill, Pugsley never went that far—there was a line he didn't cross, if such a line even existed for attempted murders.

Wednesday knew she couldn't explain to Luke that these two idiots had goaded Pugsley into doing something so reckless. She knew Luke wouldn't care for that excuse.

If she were Luke, she'd do the same, though she wasn't sure she'd go so far as to break her boyfriend's younger brother's legs if he had one in some other reality. Most likely, she would have gone that far.

"Do it for me," Wednesday replied, and Luke was surprised by her response.

"What if I don't?" Luke asked, his eyes locked on Wednesday's, which were just as unwavering.

"There's nothing else I could do. My foolish brother would have to face the consequences of his actions," Wednesday said, with no intention of fighting Luke.

She just wanted to stop him so her brother wouldn't suffer, but she felt she had no right to do so by force when it was obvious that Pugsley was at fault.

'Sister!' Pugsley thought, nearly in tears. He had expected her to summon her scythe and fight Luke to free him. She had always defended him against bullies in the past.

After a few tense seconds, Pugsley felt the invisible force disappear, and he fell to the ground. He felt a bit of pain from the landing, but he didn't care. He wanted to thank whoever he could that he wasn't left in a wheelchair.

"Tsch," Luke clicked his tongue as he turned around. He took off and disappeared from sight, heading toward his car. He still needed to change that damn tire.

Wednesday walked over to her brother, who was still trembling. It seemed today's lesson would finally stop him from trying to kill Luke.

"You're an idiot. Know your target before you decide to play like that. He didn't grow up with us. He doesn't have the patience to put up with your stupid murder attempts," Wednesday said coldly, then turned and quickly followed after Luke.

As for her two cousins, they had it coming. Their injuries weren't anything serious by Addams standards—just a few broken bones and some blood. It was like when Luke sparred with Gomez; even he got worse injuries in that match.

Using his telekinesis, Luke began changing the tire. Fortunately, the bullet had only hit the rubber, sparing the metal rim, so there weren't any major issues.

As he worked, Wednesday emerged from the forest and walked toward him, looking as pristine as ever.

She noticed that Luke was angry, which seemed only natural.

"Thank you," Wednesday said curtly, though her tone was sincere.

"Why don't you want your brother to suffer the consequences of his actions? You torture him regularly. Don't coddle him too much, or he'll end up hitting a wall one day," Luke said, giving the tire a light kick to make sure it was secured.

Wednesday looked at Luke with a strange expression, one she rarely wore.

"What exactly were you planning to do to him?" she asked, without addressing Luke's question.

"Something simple. Break his legs," Luke replied without hesitation, picking up the sniper bullet that had landed on the ground. "Compared to what he tried to do to me, I think it's pretty merciful."

"Mm… It's true that this time he crossed the line. But that's because of my two cousins. They're very unruly and always stirring up trouble," Wednesday began.

"By the way, how do you imagine my tortures of Pugsley?" she asked.

"Like the ones we do to the gang members?" Luke replied, raising an eyebrow, a bit confused by the question.

"Those are extreme tortures where we push them to the brink of mental collapse from both physical and mental pain. I'd never do something that intense to my younger brother," Wednesday clarified, realizing that Luke had misunderstood a few things.

Luke blinked, his mind trying to process what he'd just heard.

'What?!' he thought, completely taken aback. So Wednesday actually had levels of torture depending on the victim? He'd never thought the Addams would be the type to classify pain.

Though, it made sense, especially if it involved a family member… They wouldn't go so far as to leave them on the verge of death.

Cold sweat appeared on Luke's forehead. He almost screwed up!

If Pugsley had actually shown up at the Addams mansion with his legs twisted at different angles, crushed, and with bones visible, he might have been seriously screwed.

'It's not my fault!' Luke internally complained, recalling all the strange things he had seen and heard in the mansion. After all, Pugsley had tried to kill him with a sniper rifle. How did breaking his legs even compare?

'Damn… this family is starting to mess with my perception of reality,' he thought, casting a quick glance at Wednesday. Luckily, she arrived in time.

Even though he wished she'd put more emphasis on protecting her brother, since he had been seconds away from breaking Pugsley's legs.

"Thanks!" Luke exclaimed, placing his hands on Wednesday's delicate shoulders, to which she gave him another strange look.

"I don't understand why you're thanking me… He deserved what you were about to do to him," Wednesday remarked. She had only intervened because he was her younger brother, but if Luke had refused, she would have let him break Pugsley's legs, as he had every right after Pugsley's serious attempt to kill him with a sniper rifle.

In fact, if Luke hadn't done anything to Pugsley, she would've given her brother a lesson herself, since his attempt this time had far exceeded previous ones and had been dangerously reckless.

This time, it was Luke who gave her a strange look.

"I don't understand your limits on torture, Wednesday. On one hand, you tell me what I was about to do was extreme, and then you say he deserves it," Luke admitted, shaking his head.

Wednesday raised an eyebrow, the corner of her mouth barely curving. "It depends on the context. Torturing for the fun of the moment is one thing, and torturing someone who truly deserves it is another. My brother shot at you with a sniper rifle—he deserved to suffer for that. So, if you'd refused my request, I wouldn't have gotten further involved. He would have experienced pain he'd never felt before, but he would have deserved it. With my grandmother's healing potions, he'd be able to walk again, so there's no problem."

Luke understood Wednesday's point. He wasn't sure if the other Addams would feel the same way. Probably not. Only Wednesday had such a cold and rational mindset. It was a good thing he hadn't actually broken Pugsley's legs.

"I'll drive your home. Can't have the birthday girl getting dirty," Luke said, opening the passenger door for her.

Wednesday got into the car. She didn't want to run or walk the five kilometers, and she wanted to keep Luke company.

Luke started the engine and pressed the accelerator, heading toward the Addams mansion.

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