I'm an Extra, so What?
Chapter 106 - 106: Incompetence

The room fell silent, the masked elves freezing in place.

For the first time, the elf captain's mask of calm cracked, his eyes narrowing dangerously.

He stepped forward, his voice dropping to a whisper.

"I was going to make this swift... a clean confession, a simple execution."

He leaned in, his breath icy against the human's bleeding face.

"But now? Now I think I want to hear you scream."

Luka's grin only widened, even as the blood dripped from his chin.

"You can try," he whispered back, his voice laced with unyielding contempt.

"But you better bring more than your fancy little whip."

The elf captain straightened, nodding to the masked elves.

One left the room immediately.

The other adjusted his grip on the whip, his stance tense and ready.

The elf captain folded his arms.

"I admire your spirit, human," he said coldly. "It will make breaking you all the more satisfying."

Luka's chest rose and fell raggedly, each breath a struggle as crimson streaks painted his skin, the open wounds oozing and raw.

His vision blurred at the edges, and his head hung low, but even as his body trembled, that damned grin still stretched across his face.

The masked elf with the whip had stopped, his chest heaving, hands shaking from exertion.

He looked back at his superior, whose eyes were wild with frustration, his foot tapping impatiently against the stone floor.

"What are you doing?" the elf captain snarled, his voice like a blade scraping against metal.

"WHIP HIM HARDER!"

The masked elf flinched at the sharpness of the order. "Ye—Yes, sir…" he stammered.

Gripping the handle tightly, he swung with renewed ferocity.

The crack of leather against flesh echoed throughout, louder and sharper, slicing through the still air.

Luka's body jerked with each hit, but he bit down hard, his jaw clenched so tightly he thought his teeth might shatter.

Yet, still—still—he refused to scream.

A grunt here, a hiss of breath there, but never the scream the elf captain so desperately craved.

"HARDER!" the elf captain yelled, his voice straining with rage. "HARDER!"

The masked elf swung harder, the strikes now tearing through skin, ripping fabric and flesh alike, splattering droplets of blood across the floor.

Luka's breathing grew shallower, his eyelids fluttering, but his lips curled defiantly.

"HARDER!" the elf captain screamed again, his fists clenching at his sides, eyes flaring with barely contained fury.

Over and over, the masked elf struck, his movements growing desperate, almost manic.

The elf captain's demands became chants:

"HARDER! HARDER! HARDER!"

The masked elf stumbled, his arms quivering, sweat dripping from beneath his hood as he stopped, gasping for breath.

His hand shook around the handle of the whip, his shoulders sagging with exhaustion.

Luka's head hung even lower.

His fingers twitched against the iron shackles, his breathing ragged and uneven.

He was barely holding on to consciousness, the room spinning, darkening at the edges.

But then, with what little strength he had left, he raised his head, one eye swollen shut, the other barely open, and smirked.

"That was some weak hits, you elf bastards…" Luka muttered, his voice slurred but clear enough to cut through the silence like a blade.

The elf captain's eyes flared with fury, his hands shaking as if he were moments from snapping the human neck himself.

But before he could utter a word, the heavy iron door swung open, its groaning echo filling the room.

The masked elf returned, but this time, he wasn't alone.

Beside him walked an elven woman draped in flowing robes of silver and green, embroidered with intricate designs that shimmered under the torchlight.

"What is the meaning of this?" she demanded.

Her gaze swept over the human's battered form, lingering for a moment before snapping back.

The elf captain, for the first time, seemed to shrink back, his fists unclenching.

"Ma'am…" he began, his voice significantly more respectful.

"This human was caught kidnapping—"

"Silence," she interrupted, her eyes narrowing.

"I was informed of the situation. Yet, I find myself surprised to see you indulging in such…barbaric practices."

Her gaze flicked to the masked elves, who bowed their heads, and then back to the human, who was barely holding onto consciousness, his head drooping forward.

"Unchain him. Now."

The elf captain hesitated, his eyes darting nervously.

"But, Lady Elowen, he—"

"I said now." .

The masked elves exchanged glances before stepping forward, keys jangling as they unhooked the shackles from the human's wrists.

Luka's body slumped forward, but he managed to catch himself, leaning heavily against the stone wall, breathing heavily.

Elowen stepped forward, her eyes assessing the damage.

"It seems you've survived something meant to break you," she observed, her gaze not unkind.

"Impressive for a human."

Luka raised his head, his bloody grin still there despite everything.

"I've had worse…" he rasped, his voice barely above a whisper.

He was full of shit.

The masked elves moved swiftly, their hands surprisingly gentle as they supported the human's battered frame.

Luka barely registered their assistance, his body swaying with each step, eyes half-lidded as consciousness drifted in and out.

The metallic taste of blood lingered on his tongue, and every breath sent sharp jolts of pain through his ribs.

Elowen watched silently as they led the human out, her expression unreadable.

Only when the heavy iron door clanged shut behind them did she turn her attention back to the elf captain.

Her gaze was cold, like the surface of a frozen lake.

The elf captain instinctively stiffened.

"We have something to discuss," Elowen said.

The elf captain swallowed hard, his throat bobbing nervously.

"Ye—Yes, Lady Elowen…" He barely managed to stammer out the words, his body tense as if he wanted to shrink into himself.

Elowen approached him, her eyes never leaving his.

"Tell me," she began, her tone measured:

"What justification did you have for this… display of barbarism? Was it to extract a confession, or was it to cover up your own incompetence? Don't make me wait for an answer."

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