The Bookkeeper-Chapter 61: The Jasper Attack 3

Raiden and old man Jasper had the field to themselves now, with Levi and Soul dealing with the others back in the house.

For Raiden, this was nothing but a thrilling rush. He approached Jasper, who simply stood there, calm, hands folded gently behind him. Raiden channeled all his strength into his hand—time to collect his reward.

The excitement didn’t allow Raiden to stay still. He hopped from one foot to the other on his tiptoes, his whole body tingling as his fingers twitched with euphoria.

The old man remained unbothered, his dark eyes calmly tracking Raiden’s movements, but Raiden was beyond caring. Without a second thought, he struck with precision—a devastating blow to the solar plexus. The crack echoed sharply across the field, followed by a rush of wind that swept over them both.

Old man Jasper fought against the impact, but the force sent him sliding backward across the ground. Blood streamed from his nose and mouth as he collapsed to one knee, reaching up to wipe his face.

His torture meant nothing to Raiden. All he wanted was to deliver his final strike of the wager and hopefully end Jasper with it. As the old man struggled to rise, trembling, his hands slipping from his knees as he collapsed again, Raiden simply laughed and kept jogging on his toes, waiting.

The moment Jasper managed to stand upright, Raiden had already leaped in front of him. Their eyes locked as Raiden’s devilish grin betrayed his excitement. Before the old man could prepare himself, the strike landed in the same place as the previous blow.

The sharp sound rang louder than before, tearing an agonizing scream from Jasper’s throat. He crashed into the ground hard. All Raiden felt was his body shaking with euphoria as he examined his fist. Jasper’s blood dripped from his knuckles, and he knew instantly the devastation his final strike had delivered.

He moved closer to Jasper, needing to confirm he’d finished him off entirely and earned his reward of euphoria, that addictive warmth.

However, before he could get any closer, something coiled around his ankles and wrists.

"What’s going on?" he muttered.

His excitement died instantly. His eyes darted frantically from side to side, searching for the source, but before he could understand what was happening, another binding wrapped his neck, and his body was suspended in midair as if held by invisible chains.

"I’m trapped..." he choked out, his voice strained.

Raiden’s jaw clenched in agony as something constricted his neck, cutting off his air. His entire face flushed crimson as he struggled desperately to break free. His pulse hammered, his body burning up. Fear clawed at him as he battled whatever held him captive.

While Raiden struggled in midair, old man Jasper staggered to his feet. He swayed unsteadily, his whole body trembling, his garments and face drenched in crimson.

With great effort, he raised his head and fixed his gaze on Raiden, who could barely process his presence, his mind entirely consumed with escaping his suffering.

"No need," old man Jasper croaked, coughing through his dry voice. "You’ve walked right into my invisible chains."

He coughed again, then returned to his composed stance, hands folded gently behind him. "I’ve spent more than half my life perfecting these chains. The cost was my mana usage—it’s what keeps me at number 7."

Jasper forced himself down on his knees and grasped his deceased daughter Becky by the collar, then, with every ounce of strength he had left, lifted her onto his shoulders.

Once he had her secured, he turned back to Raiden. "There’s no need to struggle, bookkeeper... as my final message in this war, I’m taking the very thing that made you so arrogant. Your life."

He turned and started walking toward the forest’s edge. "No matter what you do, you will die."

Raiden couldn’t make out most of what Jasper said—the chains were crushing tighter by the second. His body grew cold as circulation to his head stopped, his face turning a deeper shade of red, fear coursing through him. But he knew this wasn’t how it would end.

He continued struggling to break free, even trying to call out to the others for help, but his voice had been stolen as well. Every attempt to speak only brought more agony.

He shifted his hand, reaching for the chains, but his fingers found nothing. It was as if the restraints were made of air.

At that moment, his resolve was stronger than it had ever been, but his fate was inevitable. His heartbeat slowed, and he lost the energy to even draw breath. All he felt was his body failing, even though he wanted to fight on. And the only thing he wanted now was to sleep.

But the instant his eyes closed, his head shot up with violent force. His blue aura shifted to black as a powerful wind erupted around him.

There was no sign of fear or emotion in his gaze—his eyes locked onto Jasper, who was distant now, almost disappearing into the forest. This wasn’t Raiden anymore. This was something entirely different.

Without even a flinch, he shattered the chains, and the instant he hit the ground, he was sprinting toward Jasper. A devilish smile twisted his lips, somehow even more frightening than when Raiden himself had worn it.

As he approached old man Jasper, Jasper’s head snapped back in confusion and terror as he stared at Raiden. But before he could react, Raiden’s hand had punched straight through his chest, breaking his own bones in the process—though he showed not a flicker of pain.

He simply maintained that devilish smile, eyes locked on Jasper’s, as his shattered fingers began regenerating while they closed around Jasper’s heart.

Jasper’s eyes filled with terror, blood pouring from his chest as his heart was crushed in Raiden’s grip. He let Becky fall immediately, landing a desperate blow across Raiden’s face with everything he had left—but it merely turned Raiden’s head to the side.

"You bastard... what are you?" he choked out, but Raiden only responded with that twisted smile. freёweɓnovel_com

Old man Jasper’s head sagged briefly before he lifted it again with effort. His teeth were gritted as blood filled his throat, choking him, but he endured it.

He wouldn’t die—not yet. He pulled himself closer to Raiden and bit savagely into his neck. His fangs punctured Raiden’s flesh as blood drenched his clothing. It should have been more than enough to force a scream from Raiden, but there was silence.

He appeared more lifeless than Jasper himself, his psychopathic expression frozen as he stared at the old man, unmoved by what he was doing. What caught his eye immediately was Jasper’s yellow aura starting to fluctuate.

He instinctively glanced at Jasper’s neck and saw his yellow crest slowly dimming. He was a grey crest bearer—a forbidden magic user that even Raiden, in this strange form, wasn’t willing to face.

He pulled Jasper away from him and ripped his heart out completely. He held the organ in his hand, watching it pulse slowly while maintaining that twisted expression.

Jasper collapsed to the ground as his aura faded completely.

Raiden threw the heart aside, euphoria flooding through him as his smile became almost genuine. He turned back to Jasper, who clutched his daughter’s hand tightly even in death.

Raiden remained motionless for a moment, then crouched down behind him.

"How did you do it?" Jasper whispered, his eyes starting to dim. "How did you break the chains?"

"Was I not strong enough?" He managed to get the words out with all his remaining strength, his voice barely a whisper.

Raiden stayed silent as he observed Jasper. Jasper had devoted his entire life to mastering his ability, only for a seventeen-year-old to destroy that effort in mere minutes. It obviously wounded his pride, but the figure crouched over him was no longer truly Raiden, so no words came.

Soon after, he drew his final breath, never getting the answers he sought. In that same instant, Raiden collapsed to the ground as well.

[ALERT]

[BODY STRENGTHENING SUCCESSFUL]

[+30]

[MANA CONTROL +10

PHYSICAL STRENGTH +10

STAMINA +5

DRAGON AURA +10

SOUL OF DRAGON 25%

HEART OF DRAGON 30%]

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