Cleaver Of Sin

Chapter 560: Clap

With pain filling his mind and fear coursing violently through his body, the man finally spoke as Asher loosened his grip over the man’s mouth, granting him just enough freedom to speak without granting him any illusion of safety, "We have a tattoo embedded at the back of our left palm, channeling Astra energy into it allows us to communicate with one another," the man answered fearfully as he stared at Asher as though he were a monster born from the depths of nightmares.

’How has the Lord not noticed his presence?’ the man thought to himself in disbelief and terror, as their Lord, the Wavestar Life Ranker, should have sensed such an intruder immediately, his power and perception far beyond that of ordinary people, making the current situation feel unnatural and deeply unsettling.

Asher did not hesitate, he immediately shifted his gaze to the man’s left palm, his movements calm and precise as he removed the black glove covering it, revealing the hidden truth beneath. There, a tattoo appeared, shaped like a clock with numbers engraved along its circular edge, and at its very center, a skull was drawn with haunting detail, its hollow gaze seeming almost alive beneath Asher’s flat observation.

Asher had not noticed this tattoo earlier, as everyone had been wearing gloves, concealing the mark from casual observation, and besides, it was not as though he had spent his time examining every exposed part of their bodies without reason or necessity.

"Within the building, I saw the scientists using communication orbs, why do they not have the tattoo?" Asher asked calmly, his voice steady and devoid of emotion, his mind already analyzing the inefficiency and inconsistency of such a system.

"The scientists also have the tattoos, but nobody aside from the Lord and their personal guards possesses their marks. Only those of equivalent importance possess each other’s marks, and to communicate with someone, you must have their mark," the man answered honestly, not daring to hide anything, his survival instinct overriding any sense of loyalty he once possessed.

Asher did not need the man to elaborate further on what the so-called mark represented, to Asher, it functioned similarly to a SIM card or a mobile number, while the tattoo itself functioned like a communication device, and the Astra energy acted as the power source that enabled its operation.

’It seems even within their organization, hierarchy and classism remain deeply rooted,’ Asher mused silently to himself, finding such structured division both predictable and inefficient. The scientist had communicated with people through an orb, why not give their mark to others and be done with it?

"Does your Lord have the tattoo?" Asher asked, even though the answer seemed obvious, it was still necessary to confirm every possibility.

"He does, but nobody here possesses his mark," the man answered quickly, swallowing hard as fear continued to tighten its grip around his existence.

Asher’s eyes narrowed slightly as he considered the implications, what if during battle, someone managed to contact reinforcements through these marks? But even as that thought surfaced, he dismissed it, if their Lord or anyone could call reinforcements, then so could he, and he did not fear escalation.

"How many marks do you possess? I mean, the marks of those present here?" Asher asked without pause, his interrogation precise and methodical.

The man hesitated briefly, uncertainty flickering across his expression, but Asher simply stared at him with cold indifference, his silence far more terrifying than any spoken threat, forcing the man to answer, "I have everyone’s marks, aside from the Lord, the scientists, and their personal guards."

"Last question, how are the tattoos given?" Asher asked, his voice still calm, his expression unchanged.

"It is given through a stamp-like artifact," the man replied immediately, his compliance complete.

Asher nodded slightly, although countless other questions lingered within his mind, such as the location of their main base of operations, their headquarters, and their chain of command, he knew such information could be acquired later. For now, he needed to complete the task at hand without delay or distraction.

"I have answered all your questions, spare me as you promi—" the man began to plead desperately, hope briefly igniting within his voice, but before he could finish speaking, his head soared into the air, severed cleanly and effortlessly before vanishing into Asher’s space ring without leaving behind even the slightest resistance.

Asher could not help but reflect on how naive the man’s thoughts had been, did he truly believe he would be spared simply for providing information? Such hope was nothing more than a fragile illusion.

Transferring the man’s corpse into the space ring, Asher glanced briefly at the ring already on his finger, noticing that it was filled with corpses, their lifeless forms stacked within its small storage. Without hesitation, he removed it and stored it within the system inventory before retrieving another empty space ring to continue his task.

Of course, when he had told the man that he was the last person remaining, it had been nothing more than a calculated lie, there were still many guards scattered throughout the area, waiting to be erased from existence.

With that, Asher vanished once more, his form dissolving into motion as he became the embodiment of death itself, silent and absolute. Everywhere he passed, guards lost their lives before they could even react, their deaths instantaneous and inevitable. Even those who managed to perceive his presence were cut down by his second strike, their attempts to evade only delaying the inevitable conclusion of their existence.

Within mere minutes, Asher had eliminated everyone, his efficiency flawless and merciless. The forest remained deadly still and silent, as though nothing had ever occurred, as though dozens of lives had not been extinguished within moments, erased without witness or resistance.

Asher exhaled quietly, his purple eyes shifting toward the building once more. Just as he was about to step forward, a sound echoed through the silent atmosphere.

Clap. Clap. Clap. Clap. Clap. Clap. Clap.

Asher’s body froze instantly, shock surging through his mind like a violent storm, his instincts screaming in warning. His eyes snapped upward toward the sky, and there, a man floated effortlessly in calm silence as he applauded, his presence dominating the surrounding space without effort.

The man bore a tattoo on his head, his physique slightly bulky, his height easily surpassing six feet. His hair was black, matching the dark, endless depth of his eyes, which stared down at Asher with quiet amusement.

The man whistled softly before speaking, "Impressive work you have done," he said with a faint smile, his tone calm and almost entertained as he observed Asher like one would observe an interesting toy.

It was the Wavestar Life Ranker.

"I must say, I never expected this place to be discovered, nor did I expect these incompetent guards to die before they could even relay information," the Wavestar Life Ranker continued, his voice filled with mild amusement as he glanced around the lifeless surroundings.

Asher did not respond immediately, he simply stared at the man with narrowed eyes, his mind calculating countless possibilities in an instant.

’How long has he been watching?’ Asher thought silently, his caution reaching its absolute peak as he refused to look away from the being before him, fully aware that even the slightest lapse in attention could mean death.

With the presence of the Wavestar Life Ranker, Asher’s entire plan collapsed like a fragile wet sand.