Chapter 2194: Throw me at her. "How many times did you repair it?" "I don’t know... maybe a hundred, two hundred times...? But it should be more durable! It was fine when I repaired it!" "Hmmmm. You are not wrong, two hundred isn’t much... What could have possibly happened to it then...?" Nux nodded, understanding Sharnoth’s problem, and Vexarion, who was still kowtowing on the ground, hearing their conversation—he felt like his world was about to collapse. T-These people... T-T-They weren’t even acknowledging his existence! And this made him clench his fists in anger. He had abandoned everything—his pride, his arrogance, everything that made him... him, and in return, he wasn’t even asking for much. Death. That was all he wanted. And yet... Yet these people didn’t even treat him like a living being. They were calling him ’it’! The more he thought about it, the more rage he felt. He wanted to— He... he wanted to... He wanted to... Nothing. His thoughts paused. After trying and failing more than a hundred times, he had already realized the difference between their strength—so much that even in his wildest imagination, he could not imagine himself winning or being able to do something against them. Yes, he was broken to the point that even when he was enraged, he could not think of killing the monstrous woman standing in front of him. As for the man accompanying her... Vexarion hadn’t forgotten how this man dragged the Strongest Child of Light through his hair. That sight was still clear in his head. The even more horrifying part was that all of that happened within just a minute of Auren leaving the Hall, meaning that this monster brought the Strongest Child of Light in that state in less than a minute— There was no way Vexarion could win against him either, and even if he could... that monstrous woman still wouldn’t let him go. And once Vexarion’s mind analyzed it all... his anger froze and he... "Please... kill me..." He started begging again. "Please... kill me..." And again... "Please... kill me..." And again, like a broken record that couldn’t be stopped. "..." Nux, who saw him, frowned. Because Vexarion was now connected to him, he could sense his emotions; he was sure he sensed his anger just now, enough anger for him to act, to rise and fight Sharnoth and entertain her a few more times but... But for him to start begging again... "You really did break him, huh..." He muttered as he looked into Sharnoth’s crimson eyes. "That was fast." He commented. "Yes! It broke! What do I do!?" Sharnoth complained again, and Nux shook his head with a sigh before he ruffled her long grey hair and began walking toward Vexarion. "Please... kill me..." The Aurendor Progenitor continued to beg while he remained in the kowtowing position. He sensed Nux walking toward him, but he still did not stop. But then— "Do you wish to die?" Nux asked. For the first time ever since he came here, he acknowledged Vexarion’s existence. For Vexarion, this was an opportunity. A clear opportunity to end this nightmare. He kept his forehead on the ground so as to not offend this man in any way and— "Yes!" He answered desperately. "Look at me." Nux ordered, and like a loyal dog, the Aurendor Progenitor raised his head in an instant, looking at Nux like he was told. "Do you truly wish to die?" Nux repeated his question. "Haven’t you already died enough times?" "I..." Vexarion froze, not knowing how to answer but— "Answer." Nux ordered, and once again, his body flinched, and the answer came— "I want this to end! I wish to die but do not wish to live again!" "Ah, so you want this cycle to end." Nux muttered, and Vexarion nodded. "Yes!" Nux nodded back, understanding what Vexarion wanted. Then he looked around, especially at Sharnoth, who was standing a few meters away, and then he crouched toward Vexarion as if he was trying to keep it a secret from Sharnoth— "What if... I help you end this cycle without killing you?" "Wha...?" Vexarion’s expression changed. Ending this cycle without having to die...? Was that possible...? Wouldn’t that mean that... he would get to... live? That possibility alone froze his mind. He couldn’t even picture how it would look like, whether it would be good or bad. What he did know and cared about, however, was the fact that... it would end the cycle. That was all that mattered. He nodded desperately as he glanced at Nux. Nux smiled as he nodded back. "Good." He praised. He then once again glanced at Sharnoth, making sure she wasn’t watching, and then— "Now listen to me. You see that woman over there?" Vexarion once again nodded desperately. "I want to make her mine." Nux revealed, and for an instant, Vexarion froze. What...? He wanted to make her his...? Her? That woman? Vexarion stared at the man in front of him, this time, seemingly concerned. Was he... alright in his head? Wait... Was he... another fellow victim? Would he end up like him if he didn’t do something? The moment he thought of that possibility, Vexarion shivered. When he thought about the two of them being fellow victims, he wanted to somehow help him, but seeing the state he was in, Vexarion wanted to avoid it at all costs, so he stayed silent and nodded lightly, just letting the man speak without adding anything of his own. "You get it, right? The irresistible urge of wanting the beauty all for yourself?" Nux asked again, and when Vexarion stared at Sharnoth to find the ’beauty’ he was talking about, all he could see was... a monster who loved inflicting pain on others. But even then, Vexarion didn’t say anything; he just nodded in silence. The only thing he cared about was hearing what this madman had in his mind and if he could use him to get out of this hellhole. Nux, who was reading Vexarion’s thoughts through their connection, nodded inwardly, satisfied by his reaction. Then, he continued his play. "Everything had been going fine between the two of us; we have been having our moments, but ever since you came, all her attention has fallen on you, and I cannot accept that." Nux spoke, looking at Vexarion with his piercing golden eyes. Vexarion flinched at that gaze, but before fear could consume him— "Can you escape?" Nux asked a question. "W-What...?" Vexarion couldn’t believe those words for a second. "I asked if you can escape." Nux repeated himself, and Vexarion... he quickly glanced at Sharnoth, who was standing a few meters away, dancing to beats only she could make sense of. It was clear what he was worried about, and Nux— "Don’t worry about her; I’ll take care of her. You just tell me that if I buy you an hour, can you escape this place and never get caught again?" "YES! YES I CA—" The moment he heard those words, Vexarion wanted to shout in excitement, but Nux quickly grabbed his mouth and shut him up. "Have you lost your mind!?" He whispered loudly. "Are you trying to reveal the plan to her!? Do you actually wish to leave or not!?" He asked, and Vexarion’s eyes widened in horror. The Aurendor Progenitor wanted to slap himself for nearly blowing the opportunity. Right now, however, wasn’t the time to worry about these matters. Right now, it was time to act, so with a determined look on his face, he nodded. "Good." Nux nodded, praising his bravery. "Now listen to me, and listen well." He spoke, and Vexarion nodded again; his determination did not fade away. The broken man who could only repeat a few words was nowhere to be seen. "Throw me at her." Nux said it so casually that, for a moment, Vexarion thought he’d misheard. "...What?" Nux leaned closer, his golden eyes gleaming faintly in the dim world of grey. "Throw me. Right at her. As hard as you can." He whispered as if it was the most natural thing in the universe. Vexarion blinked rapidly, his mind struggling to keep up. "You... you want me to throw you? At her?" "Yes." Nux nodded in a calm, patient tone, almost like a teacher teaching a dumb student. "You throw me at her, I’ll make it look like I lost balance mid-air. When I fall on top of her, she’ll get distracted. She’ll think I’m playing some weird, physical game again—she won’t take it seriously. And while she’s trying to push me off..." He smiled. "You run." Vexarion stared at him blankly. He wasn’t sure if this man was serious or mocking him, but the way he spoke... made it impossible not to listen. "I’ll keep her down," Nux continued. "For an hour. That is all the time you will have to escape, Vexarion Aurendor." "One hour..." Vexarion repeated under his breath. His breathing quickened. It sounded possible. Dangerous, yes, but possible. Nux tilted his head. "You think you can make it?" "I—" Vexarion hesitated. "I’ll try." "No." Nux’s eyes hardened, and his voice dropped lower. "You do not get to try. Do. Because if she catches you again..." He let the rest hang in the air. Vexarion, too, didn’t need him to finish the sentence. He nodded, his trembling slowing, his fear momentarily buried beneath desperation. "Good." Nux gave him a thin smile and stood up, brushing imaginary dust off his coat. Then, he turned around slightly, pretending to stretch his shoulders. "Alright, on my mark, you grab me and toss me like your life depends on it." Then, he momentarily paused, turned toward him and— "Because it does." Vexarion gulped and nodded again. Sharnoth was still a few meters away, dancing slowly in circles, her long grey hair flowing like smoke behind her. She hummed an eerie tune, her bare feet tracing lazy steps in the ash. Her crimson eyes glowed faintly and then— "Now," Nux commanded, and Vexarion moved.