That's when Jack turned toward the broken man on the ground.
"Now, "Chief", was this all that you amounted to?" Jack playfully stressed the title.
"Actually, the ground suits you very much! It's perfect for a worm like you!"
As much as Jack insulted the guy, a tiny part of him couldn't help but be impressed. He had never seen a man cling so much to a title as worthless as "Village Chief" before.
Jack sat on his throne as he kept mocking.
"Truly pathetic. Even if you could fight back, you wouldn't dare, haha."
"You're nothing but a spineless coward! You were never fit to be Chief in the first place!"
"How about this? For the next minute, I'll allow you to punch me as much as you want, but every step will feel like being burned by a thousand suns." Jack chuckle.
The villagers couldn't help but throw weird glances at Jack. Was there a need to humiliate the man even further? They weren't taking his side. It was just a waste of time.
After all, the man was lifelessly…standing?!
His broken body was suddenly up. His face was twitching in agony, and so was his whole body! The incredible pain he felt was illusory yet felt real.
At this moment, could understand what the fuck was happening.
1. How could he get up?! This suffering couldn't be faked!
2. Why was he getting up?! Jack would obviously give another order right before he reached him. What was the point?!
No one understood, except the man himself and Jack, for he had seen his resolve in the Dream Realm.
He was the Village Chief, always and forever.
This was his resolve.
Even if he lost his title.
Even if he lost his mind.
Even if he lost every-fucking-thing.
He would remain the Village Chief.
At least, that's how he would always consider himself. The two had been fighting from the very beginning because the man had been afraid for his position.
Step after step, he came closer to the casually sitting Jack. Every subsequent step became increasingly difficult.
He was already far beyond his limits, and yet he kept going. All until he finally reached Jack.
The Chief raised his arm. His whole body was unsteady, he couldn't generate any strength and knew it was all wasted effort, but he did it anyway.
He knew the man was toying with him, but so what?
He would never forgive himself if he missed an opportunity to punch the bastard!
His fist flew in slow-motion, not because of the tension, just because it lacked power. Even then, the outcome was obvious.
— Slap! —
As the weak slap landed, brows were raised in confusion. Why hadn't Jack stopped it? Was he trying to shame the man by showing him how weak he was?
"How was it? Did it feel good?" Jack grinned.
"Y-yes, very. But I bet it would feel better with more power behind it." The Chief replied amidst the pain.
The two men gazed at one another as if in a staring contest. No words were exchanged, at all!
"What are they d—" the florist softly murmured.
"Shh— I don't know either but let him do his thing," Igor replied.
On the side, Bubblegum's eyes were filled with a spirited glint. At this moment, she was reminded of why she was so drawn to him. There was other like him!
She already had an inkling of what would happen as she watched eagerly.
Jack gazed deep into the NPC's eyes, reminded once more of why he loved Infinite so much. Other games could reproduce everything to the tiniest detail, but it would never feel as true.
In the bastard's eyes, he saw incredible weakness but also astonishing perseverance. At this moment, the Chief felt incredibly alive.
How could mere data feel that strongly about anything?! Infinite, that was how! Motherfucking Infinite.
Jack finally broke the silence.
"What was it that you said again? The world can be yours but not the village? You really care about such a tiny place?" Jack gave him a teasing smile.
That's when the Chief finally realized his foolishness. All this time, he had been fighting this man for encroaching on his village. He had tried to subdue him when he could have just waited.
Instead of begging a random devil, he should have been begging this man to take him under his wing long ago. As the braves would say: he hadn't recognized Mount Tai.
But now it was too late.
The Demon King had a sadistic smile and wasn't one to forgive easily. He understood that very well. He truly had been so foolish…
"How about it? Do you still want to be Chief?" Jack proposed with a smile.
Many choked in the background.
"W-what?!"
"He's not serious, right?!"
"After all we went through?!"
This didn't make any freaking sense! He had to be pulling his leg, right, right?!
"You'll forgive me?" the Chief asked with as much confusion as suspicion.
"Of course not! I'll make sure that your entire existence is filled with nothing but suffering!" He grinned, with the people sighing in the background. But then he added:
"That said, I don't mind you being the acting Chief while I'm gone. But, if you accept, for every second of it you'll feel a Hellish pain…."
What kind of crazy talk was this?! There was no way that anyone sane would accept this! He was taunting him again with—
Suddenly the Chief fell to the ground.
"Then I'll be in your care, Demon King!" This time he was voluntarily kneeling. The NPCs all watched, flabbergasted, not understanding what the fuck had happened!
Bubblegum glanced at Jack with a heated gaze. How many players had called themselves Demons in the history of games? Far too many!
How many had dared to call themselves Demon Kings? A few.
How many had truly deserved the title? Only one as far as she was concerned.
A saint would have forgiven the NPC.
A villain would have happily watched him suffer.
Motherfucking Jack'O would condemn him to endless torment, yet the poor sob would willingly serve his sentence and his new king!
She could already picture the future. Empires would rise and fall, but he would always remain. Others played the game while he played the game and everyone in it!
She found herself wishing to witness it all. Wouldn't that be nice?
"Now, my new repentant Chief, let's get you ready for a nice play." Jack mischievously said.
Of course, he had more schemes…
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[A/N] Hype! Feb Mass Release Time! 🔥
Day 4: Nothing Tastes Better Than Revenge! (Besides Ice Cream) 🍦 (4/4)