Rise of the Eromancer

Chapter 116 Isn't This... A Cult!?

"Stab your own hand."

"W… what the fuck!?"

The excited look on everyone's face was completely replaced by shock as they stared at Rhys's hand. And as Ayesha removed the knife, everyone watched as his blood started to shower everywhere on the stage.

The people would have probably been screaming or whispering to each other right now, but their shock was too overwhelming to the point that they could truly only just stare at Rhys.

"I have placed enough knives in front of the stage." And finally, after letting the silence linger on for a couple of seconds, Rhys spoke up and gestured to the table that was on the front of the stage—and there, the crowd finally noticed the knives,

"Stab your hand, and you will be considered part of the guild. If not, you will be compensated for all the expenses you have wasted going here."

"This… this is crazy!" And soon, people started raising their voices.

"Who would even do something like that!? We… we promised equality when—" The person that opened that topic instantly shut his mouth as Rhys's blood started to trail down the stage, "I'm… I'm going home, I'm not going to be a part of whatever this—!!!"

And before the man could finish his words and anyone else could complain, one of the applicants approached the table and stabbed his hand without any hesitation.

"Kh…" He was clearly in pain; tears immediately falling from his eyes. But he just gritted his teeth.

"K…Kobe!?" The man's Commoner friend, who seemed to have accompanied Kobe to take the admission, could not help but rush toward him with a panicked expression on his face, "What are you doing, brother!? Are you trynna kill yourself out here!?"

"Don't," Kobe quickly moved his hand away from his friend as he tried to check it. And instead, he looked up at the stage and looked Rhys in the eyes, who quickly nodded his head in response before placing his hand on his chest; the blood flowing from his hand, dampening his suit.

"...Aight," Kobe once again greeted his teeth and sucked in a deep breath before pulling the knife from his hand. And without breaking eye contact with Rhys, he also placed his hand on his chest and nodded; pulling down his hood and revealing his braided hair that was even darker than his dark brown skin.

"This… is fucked, man," Kobe's friend shook his head, "Something ain't right about this, I am telling you that dregga crazy. I thought we was just hanging out here and looking, man. Not getting impaled by no knife, bro. This is fucked up and we need to get that hand checked."

"No. I'm tired of mopping them floors and getting shout at, man."

Kobe's friend tried pulling him away, but Kobe just remained in his spot; his eyes, not leaving Rhys at all. It wasn't only his friend, there were a lot of people that just started leaving; mostly Commoners, but there were still some, however, who seemed reluctant to leave as they all just looked at each other.

But soon, another grabbed a knife from the table; her hand, completely terrified of what she was about to do. She looked up at Rhys, who was also now looking at her.

"Please…" The woman whispered, "...Let this mean something."

And with those words escaping her lips, she gritted her teeth and lowered her head as she pushed the knife through her hand.

"Ghk," the woman wanted to scream, but settled for a high-pitched gasp as she pushed the knife further. And then, with another quiet shriek, she quickly pulled the knife and looked back at Rhys, also placing her bleeding hand on her chest while removing her cap and revealing her long black hair.

And very soon, more and more approached the table and started stabbing themselves. Their loud breaths, creating an orchestra of pain and blind trust.

"Well…" And soon, the very first Commoner from the crowd approached the table, "...I've done worse for my idols. And you're much, much better."

The female Commoner grabbed a knife from the table and just quickly stabbed herself while looking at Rhys. And as soon as Rhys turned to look at her, she quickly removed the knife and started licking it with her unusually long tongue. She also licked her hand before placing it on her chest… quite tightly.

"Nah, you people are insane," Kobe's friend could really only shake his head as he started backing away as more and more people approached the stage, to the point he found it hard to move through the crowd. Fortunately, after a few seconds, he was able to escape through the crowd along with the others who wanted nothing to do with whatever was going on inside.

"My god, this is a fucking cult!"

"You was in there too? You saw that, right!?"

Those who did not want to stab themselves were now all at the back of the crowd, all of them, just talking to each other and watching as the others continued to mutilate themselves in front of Rhys.

"Hi guys!" And while they were still quite shocked by what was happening, Lina once again approached them with a smile on their face, "This is quite… shocking, right?"

"Shocking…? The fuck it is! Are you building a cult!?"

"...A cult?" Lina could not help but let out a tiny chuckle as soon as she heard those words, "No. God, I hope not. That's just the assessment that Rhys thought since he was sure most of the people that would join the guild are Lowborns, and it wouldn't actually make sense to do a physical test."

"How is stabbing yourself with a knife a test!?"

"Well…" Lina just shrugged as she looked at Rhys just standing on the stage with his hand still bleeding, "...We're about to tell you, but I doubt you would understand."

"What do you—"

"And also, you guys should stay here for a while. We're going to reimburse everything you spent going here," Lina smiled before just walking away. And before anyone could stop and ask her questions, Rhys's voice once again reverberated throughout the entire building.

[I am sorry for making you do all this,] Rhys let out a whisper as he looked at all the people in front of him; their blood, painting the floor red,

[But I know you already understand this so I will not mince words — you are weak, that is why you are here.]

"..." Although some of the crowd flinched upon hearing Rhys's words, they did not stray their eyes away and just continued to listen; some of them, already crying. Whether it was because of the pain or something else, only they will truly ever know.

[And I understand, because I was weak too — weaker than most of you. As most of you might have already researched on the net, I awakened my blood late. Before that, I was beaten daily.]

Rhys then glanced at Katarina, who had just been quietly standing on the side of the stage; her eyes, slightly dejected as she pressed on something in her hand. And as she did so, a screen projected behind Rhys, showing slides of all of Rhys's medical records back when he was still in Old York High.

[What I said was true,] Rhys glanced back at the screen, [They burned me, tortured me, shattered my bones, and played with my broken limbs until the shards grated the inside of my flesh — and all fully knowing what happened to me when I was just 12 years old, almost like telling me that I should always and forever suffer.]

The people watching Rhys speak could not help but take in a small gulp as they looked at Rhys's medical records, and there were even some photos showing his injuries.

[And you know the reason why all of those things happened to me in the first place?] Rhys let out a sigh, [Because of my face. I'm not boasting, but they tortured me because my face is a little better looking than theirs. Because I, someone who should be lower than them, is better than them at one thing — and they did not want that. If I did not awaken my blood when I did…

…I would not be standing here in front of all of you right now.]

The people were extremely silent as they all just closed their eyes; the tears some of them had been trying to hold back, now completely trailing down their cheeks. Even the Commoners who stabbed their hands, who did not really go through what their Lowborn friends had gone through, could not help but shed a tear for the people beside them.

[The reason for all of this theatrics…] Rhys let out a small chuckle, [...is not just a test of trust, loyalty, or knowing how to follow orders. After all, I did say that what I needed were soldiers, but no. This test… is for us to share our pain. To finally feel what each and every one of us are going through…

…to know that we are together.]

And what followed those words was a silence that none of them could ever imagine hearing. It was almost comfortable, but at the same time… sensual, deep. Like all of their breaths intertwine.

[Welcome to Wilder's Harem, everyone.] A small smile crawled on Rhys's face as he looked at the people in front of him, [Just to be clear, I didn't choose the name.]

"Pft…" The solemn and somber air floating in the air very slowly disappeared as everyone started letting out a chuckle.

[And also, Dr. Katarina will actually be healing all of your hands,] Rhys then turned to Katarina once more, [You… are safe with her, she is also one of the reasons why I am still standing in front of all of you right now. She more than healed me.]

"Rhys…" Katarina whispered to herself as she returned Rhys's gaze.

[And she will more than heal all of you too. Just wait for her to—]

"Wait!"

And before Rhys could start stepping off of the stage, one of the people that left the crowd earlier shouted.

"Can… can I still join!? I'll stab my hand!"

[...Of course, but you would have to wait for a few hours before we can heal your wounds.]

"What? That's...

...that's not fair!"