Chapter 123: The Price of Advancement

‘Does this mean I am to carry out the execution?’ Alice asked.

‘For me to harvest would be a bit of a waste of resources,’ the Mad Hatter chuckled. ‘If you harvest his soul and then execute him, you can complete the Seventh Tier Advancement Ritual, and his soul crystal will become your advancement material.’

The Killer scrutinized Alice, then turned to the Mad Hatter with a look of astonishment. ‘You—you want her to advance? Is she an Imperial citizen?’

‘Indeed,’ the Mad Hatter replied nonchalantly.

‘It’s one thing for you to let an Imperial citizen join the Tea Party, but you’re actually guiding an Imperial citizen into the Abyssal Cult?!’ the Killer shrieked in shock.

‘Of course,’ the Mad Hatter said, his expression utterly matter-of-fact.

‘Are you insane?!’ the Killer roared.

‘What else would I be?’ the Mad Hatter grinned, never denying his own madness.

‘Have you forgotten what Imperial citizens did to us? All the suffering of us Redlands people was brought upon by them! The Empire is our enemy, a cancer upon this world! If you allowed an Imperial citizen to join for the organization’s benefit, I could grudgingly understand, but how can you allow an Imperial citizen to defile our traditional religion?!’ the Killer railed at the Mad Hatter.

‘One crucial lesson I’ve learned in my thirty-plus years of life is never to try and persuade an idiot whose values differ too greatly from your own. So, I won’t bother arguing with you,’ the Mad Hatter waved a dismissive hand.

‘Bastard! I always thought you were merely overly soft-hearted, but I never imagined you’d be so utterly foolish. Have you been seduced by this woman’s beauty?’ the Killer continued to curse incessantly.

‘No matter how much of a philanderer I am, I could never be interested in a witch who used to be a man,’ the Mad Hatter sighed, covering his ears before turning to Alice. ‘Just get it over with.’

Alice nodded. The Killer’s deeds were so heinous they deserved death many times over. She had no qualms about executing him.

She channeled the last vestiges of her red crystal’s power, transforming into a demon, then strode towards the Killer.

The Killer did not assume a fighting stance; he merely glared at Alice with bitter malice. It was the only resistance he could offer. He was already gravely wounded and no match for Alice in her current state.

‘Honestly, I can understand your hatred, your fury, because I share a very similar experience with you… truly very similar,’ Alice said as she approached the Killer. ‘But you allowed yourself to become a s*ave to hatred. You believed you were retaliating against the Empire, yet your actions changed nothing. You merely indulged in the rampage of your hatred, lost in the pleasure of slaughter—’

‘Go to hell! Since when does an Imperial citizen like you get to lecture me?!’ the Killer cursed, utterly ungrateful. ‘If you’re going to strike, then strike! Stop with the pointless chatter. Victor takes all, loser keeps silent. Don’t show me your face. If I get the chance, I’ll definitely slaughter you, you vile b*tch, and pull out your intestines to wrap around your neck… Aaaahhh!’

Before he could finish his tirade, Alice could tolerate it no longer and directly struck him with a claw.

‘Are you stupid?’ the Mad Hatter quipped from the side. ‘Do you think you’re a priest listening to someone’s final confession? Have you watched too many hero stories about converting enemies?’

‘I was wrong,’ Alice sighed.

Indeed, as the Mad Hatter had said, a vast difference in values made communication impossible. In such circumstances, attempting to persuade the other party was utterly meaningless. When the situation had devolved into a life-or-death struggle, convincing an opponent to accept one’s views with a mere impassioned speech was, after all, quite unrealistic.

Alice continued her assault, inflicting more wounds on the Killer’s arm, shoulder, and back. She had no interest in torturing him, but she could not harvest the soul of a dead person. Before executing the Killer, she needed to obtain his soul.

The Killer writhed in agony on the ground, the accumulated damage from the demon’s claws bringing him an overwhelming terror and despair.

For the first time, he personally experienced what his victims felt in their final moments.

‘Enough,’ the Mad Hatter interjected, calling a halt to Alice when the Killer began to roll his eyes.

Alice extended her hand towards the Killer’s eyes, activating her ‘Soul Harvest’ ability.

A grayish-white spirit detached from the Killer’s eyes, solidifying into a coin-shaped crystal in Alice’s hand.

The Killer lost consciousness. Alice picked up the crystal and examined it, noticing it was faintly glowing.

‘It’s glowing…’ Alice murmured.

‘The souls of the blessed glow. The higher the tier, the more noticeable the light, and these crystals contain more power than those of ordinary people,’ the Mad Hatter explained. ‘Don’t rush to consume it. You must first complete the ritual. Failing an advancement is no laughing matter.’

‘I know.’ Alice turned back to the Killer.

‘Can you go through with it? You haven’t formally killed anyone before, have you?’ the Mad Hatter asked.

‘I’ll try,’ Alice said, plunging her claw into the Killer’s chest, instantly destroying his heart.

The Killer convulsed violently, even struggling a few times, but within mere seconds, he went limp.

Alice withdrew her claw, watching as he became completely still.

‘That was a bit unexpected,’ she remarked.

‘Oh?’ the Mad Hatter asked.

‘I feel like killing isn’t actually that difficult. It’s completely different from what I’ve read in books,’ Alice said.

‘Killing isn’t inherently difficult. Many soldiers can kill enemies without hesitation on their first day on the battlefield, and some even accidentally kill someone in a moment of passion,’ the Mad Hatter said calmly. ‘What’s difficult is getting used to killing. Veterans returning from war have high suicide rates, and the job of an executioner isn’t something everyone can handle. That said, you shouldn’t have any psychological burden over this, right?’

‘No,’ Alice answered honestly.

She wasn’t truly unconcerned about killing; it was just that the Killer truly deserved to die.

The Mad Hatter smiled. ‘Indeed, so far we’ve found that the most efficient method to curb evil is violence. Though ‘violence for violence’ sounds crude, it’s an undeniable bottom line. Some sinners truly deserve death. Alright? He’s stopped breathing.’

Alice nodded, then brought the Killer Jack’s soul to her mouth.

A burning sensation rose from her chest, flowing through her limbs and bones. She distinctly felt a new power integrate with her.

Without any adverse reactions, she successfully advanced to the Seventh Tier of the ‘Abyss,’ becoming a ‘Warlock.’

‘As for this child, she has been forced to become a ‘Blessed of the Abyss.’ This country can no longer accommodate her, so we must find a way for her,’ the Mad Hatter said, picking up Martha and letting out a long breath. ‘The remaining cleanup will be left to the Church. Before the Inquisition comes back for us, let’s make our escape.’