Chapter 1836 The Contrast Between On- & Off-hours Grimdawn
?"Keke. Don't care about these cockroaches, my dear wife. They are only cooperative now after I gave them a strong reason to."
Eren whispered to Shaai while nibbling on her left earlobe. He inhaled her fresh and orchid-like bodily smell and was relieved from the stench that came from all around him.
Not that the stench had stopped him from doing what he needed to do anyway. However, he indulged in the olfactory relief brought by Shaai all the same.
A bright smile was plastered on his face as he spoke further.
"Rather than asking me what I have done to these poor spies, you should ask whether I managed to get some valuable information out of them. Don't you think so?"
He asked as he narrowed his eyes on Zameer inside his prison cell. As soon as Zameer sensed Eren's presence right outside his prison cell, he groaned and tried to move his hole-riddled body.
The once-burly-and-mighty man was trying to get away from Eren even though he subconsciously knew that it was impossible because of the prison cell. Sometimes people make futile attempts just to find some mental respite in doing them.
"Oh? Did you find something interesting?" Shaai quickly adjusted her demeanor and asked curiously.
She'd be lying if she said she wasn't interested in knowing about the truth behind why so many spies had infiltrated the Darkmoon Fellowship during such a crucial time.
After all, the arrival of the Hvergelmir Springs was not very far in the future. All the demonic big and small forces were busy solidifying their strengths while trying to add more members.
Why would any organization pay attention to someone else's house at such a crucial time? Unless it was something big.
"I have got some interesting news to share with you and all the other grand elders of the Darkmoon Fellowship," Jolly said casually as he looked around before adding further.
"But at this point, I am still in the process of information extraction. It would be foolish of me to trust the words of people who are desperate to please me. Maybe they are all saying collective bullshit just so that I can relieve them from their misery. Who knows?
I can't just take the word of a few people to make a complete picture. I'll need to spend a few more days with them and interrogate them separately to see if one version of the extracted information matches with the other.
Only then will I be able to say anything concrete. Rest assured, it'll be the news the coven can count on after I'm done with the whole process," Jolly released Shaai from his embrace as he said.
Shaai didn't particularly like that Jolly released her from his embrace just when she was finding some warmth and comfort in it. However, she didn't want to come across as too clingy so she didn't object to it.
Tucking her voluminous hair behind her ears, she spoke, "In that case, I'll leave you be here. Come meet me when you are done."
"Hm," Jolly nodded before spreading his hands. Using the Array Token given to him by Shaai, he made use of the S-Ranked Array Formation to cast an area-of-effect healing Skill.
The healing-type Skill cast by Eren and powered by the S-Ranked Array Formation was so powerful that it started healing all the living prisoners at the same time. Eren took this time to dispel the effects of the Sin Series Mana invasion from the prisoners' bodies as well, giving them instant physical and mental relief.
The partially transformed Demonic Creatures got their sanity completely back. Their demonic transformation also came undone.
They also regained complete control over their bodies. Their wounded forms started healing at a rapid and visible rate.
The spies who were on the brink of death due to too many muscles being shaved off of them and those who suffered amputation and severe bone damage also started experiencing miraculous healing effects. It was as if all of them were being revived from the brink of death and complete insanity.
The prisoners lost consciousness after such a wide-area healing Skill was cast on them. Some of their own Lifeforce had been spent on reviving them. As such, they fell back into forceful yet peaceful slumber as soon as some respite was given to them.
Shaai was about to leave the prison grounds. But she felt puzzled when she saw Jolly healing all the spies. She felt that he should have carried on with his investigation after the spies were so willing to talk to him.
"Hm? Why did you heal them?" Shaai asked, turning around. Jolly smiled lightly before responding.
"This is still not the right time for the next round of questioning. And we can't keep on hammering them lest they break into million pieces.
We need to be mindful about our torture, my dear wife. Too much of anything is not good for either side.
If we drive them into madness, they'll find comfort in it. They'll be liberated by their own insanity.
Damaged goods are of no use to us. To keep their minds sane, we need to bring them back just before they decide to give up on themselves," Eren said as if it was the most obvious thing to do, taken right out of How To Torture For Dummies.
"Indeed," Shaai couldn't help agreeing with Eren's statement. Only now did she realize how much thought Eren had put into the whole thing.
"On second thought, let's go out and have something to eat. I'm famished," Eren said as he rubbed his tummy. Even though he had merely possessed Jolly's body, the hunger his body felt was also felt by him.
He decided to give them a much-needed rest before unleashing the next round of horrors on them. After all, only after experiencing comfort and relief will they be able to feel toil and hopelessness.
The contrast between the two polar opposite states will neither allow them to be completely mad nor make them at peace with their situation. And by retaining this perpetual state of uneasiness, Eren would be able to get the whole truth out of the spies.
"I'm surprised you can have an appetite in such an environment," Shaai said as she looked at Jolly as if trying to understand an enigma. The butcher chuckled in response before adding words of flattery in his defense.
"Well, I am more hungry for my beautiful wife's company than a meal," Eren said as he smiled charmingly, his voice coated in honey and dew, his gaze pleasantly invading Shaai's privacy.
"After all, I have to take care of her somehow. Treating her to a nice meal is the least I can do," Eren said as he appeared beside Shaai.
Before she could say anything, he placed his hand across her shoulder like he was hanging out with a pal and led her outside the prison grounds, his tilted head resting on her shoulders.
In his company, Shaai soon forgot the scenery of the prison grounds and the horrors Eren had unleashed on the spies.
She subconsciously started treating "on hours'' and "off hours" Eren as two separate entities.
And in her mind, the newlywed grand elder witch of the Darkmoon Fellowship had already decided to stay close to the "off-hours" version of her husband as much as she could because he was fun to be around. Gm
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AN: The character profiles for Jolly Jalen and Shaai Sena have been created. Check them out. :)