Money, to those who possess it, is just a number.
Obviously, regarding the amount Rey snatched, Ephest cared far less about the cash itself and far more about the method Rey used to take it.
As long as Rey was willing to reveal how he unknowingly spirited away over three billion pounds, Ephest would happily gift him another pile of numbers just as large.
Rey remained silent, looking at Ephest. The situation was quite different from what he had imagined.
There was no torture to extract a confession, nor was there any heartache over the lost wealth. There was only curiosity.
"I once saw a comrade on the battlefield recover remarkably fast after being shot. He just pressed his hand over the wound, chanted a few words I couldn't understand, and that was it.
"It was magical! It even amazed me.
"From that moment on, I felt there must be powers in this world beyond traditional understanding. To obtain that power, to know its source, I killed that comrade and dissected his corpse."
A cruel sneer curled the corner of Ephest's mouth. Ignoring Rey's silence, he picked up his wine glass, took a small sip, savored it, and continued talking as if to himself.
He was telling a story—narrating a series of twisted tales to Rey about how he captured various magical phenomena. And through this process of capture and study, he built the criminal empire he had today.
A super-dangerous psychopath—that was Rey's definition of the man sitting before him.
"Well? Have you thought it over? I've always had patience for people with special abilities. But right now, my patience is wearing thin."
After downing the entire glass of red wine, Ephest set the glass down casually and asked Rey with growing impatience.
Seeing that Rey still had no intention of speaking, Ephest chuckled and continued, "I caught a werewolf and locked him in a dark basement. If you aren't willing to share your secret, I don't mind locking you in there too."
"A werewolf? You mean the legendary kind that only transforms on the night of a full moon?" Rey asked with feigned surprise and ignorance.
"Yes, the full moon. Before the moon is full, you can have a nice heart-to-heart with him. However, he's very special. He shouldn't need to wait for the full moon. And because of that... I've become special too."
As Ephest spoke, he suddenly lashed out. His hand clamped onto the head of the six-foot-three bald giant standing next to him.
"Argh!"
Pain wracked the giant's body, and he struggled violently. But against the strength of a transformed werewolf, no matter how hard the bald giant struggled, he could only let out useless screams.
Crack!
A crisp, sickening sound echoed in the room.
The struggling giant's skull caved in, visibly dented. He stopped struggling instantly, his entire body going limp in Ephest's grip. All that remained were the twitching of his limbs and blood gushing from his eyes, nose, and mouth.
---
Crushing a man to death with one hand after transforming—this display of strength was indeed shocking.
Rey narrowed his eyes, staring at the somewhat smug Ephest.
His strength had increased explosively, but it seemed he had also inherited the violent, bloodthirsty nature of a fallen werewolf.
Seeing the giant in his hand go still, Ephest casually tossed him backward. The nearly two-hundred-pound body was thrown into the steaming swimming pool as if it weighed nothing.
"Have you figured it out yet?"
With a cruel sneer, Ephest saw Rey staring at him and subconsciously assumed the boy was terrified by the scene he had just witnessed. After all, Rey looked like nothing more than a fifteen or sixteen-year-old teenager.
"Did you use this research result on ordinary people in mass quantities?"
Instead of answering Ephest's threat, Rey fired back a question.
Perhaps killing someone had released some of his violent emotions, as Ephest's mood seemed to improve and calm down a bit. He glanced at Rey, who was much shorter than him, and answered with disdain, "What do you think these research results are? Roadside trash that anyone can just pick up?"
"Is that so? If that's the case, then I'm relieved."
Hearing Ephest's arrogant reply, Rey let out a long sigh of relief. If the man had actually created a special forces unit of these monsters, things wouldn't end well today. But if it was just Ephest alone, there wasn't much to worry about.
At this moment, Rey looked nothing like a scared child. He stretched his body, and his entire aura shifted instantly.
Standing before him, the much larger Ephest suddenly felt an inexplicable sense of dread wash over him.