OP Absorption
Chapter 36: The Boss

Chapter 36: The Boss

Storm clouds gathered above Castle Varn, transforming daylight into premature dusk. Inside his study, Lord Varn stood at the window, watching lightning fracture the sky. He held a glass of wine, barely touched.

"The ritual failed," he said, his voice level but edged with frustration.

Behind him, Ery arranged papers on his desk, her crimson hair pulled back in a severe knot. Unlike the other servants, she wore no uniform—just practical black clothes and a dagger at her hip.

"So it seems," she replied, her tone carefully neutral.

He set his glass down and straightened his cuffs. "Let’s find out why."

With a lazy wave of his hand, the air shimmered. Shadows twisted, and a figure materialized on the floor—Scarlet, her armor cracked and stained, her face pale with shock.

She gasped, clutching her chest as if expecting a wound that wasn’t there. Her eyes darted around, landing on the man.

Fear replaced confusion.

"My... my lord?" Her voice trembled as she scrambled to her knees. "I—I’m alive?"

"For now," he said coldly, sipping his wine. "Tell me what happened in the dungeon. Every detail."

Scarlet swallowed hard, her hands shaking as she steadied herself. "It... it went wrong. I found this girl that was immune to the virus, so naturally, I decided to take her, just in case she was important. But..."

"But?" he prompted, his tone sharp enough to cut.

"A boy," she blurted. "I was killed by a boy, I don’t know what happened after that."

The man’s eyes narrowed. "A boy. You’re telling me a single boy killed you?" He stepped closer, his shadow looming over her. "And this boy—what can he do?"

She flinched. "He... he absorbs mana. I felt it, he absorbed my mana like a vacuum, the pull was so strong I couldn’t react in time. I didn’t expect—"

"Expect?" he snapped, cutting her off. "You let a child defeat you? Pathetic." His voice dripped with disgust, and the wine glass in his hand cracked under his grip, red liquid spilling over his fingers like blood.

"Please!" Scarlet threw herself forward, her forehead nearly touching the floor. "I didn’t know he such a power! I tried—"

"Tried?" The man crouched, grabbing her chin and forcing her to meet his gaze. His eyes burned with barely contained rage. "You failed. Failure doesn’t beg for mercy—it pays for it."

Her breath hitched, tears welling in her eyes. "Please, my lord, I’ll do anything! I’ll hunt him down, I’ll kill him myself! Just give me another chance!"

The maid with red hair shifted slightly, her hand resting on the hilt of a dagger at her waist. She said nothing, but her presence was a silent threat.

Scarlet’s pleas grew desperate.

"I know his face!" she cried. "I can find him, I can fix this!"

The man released her chin, standing slowly. He wiped his hand on a handkerchief, the cracked glass now forgotten on the table.

"A boy with the power to absorb mana." His lips twitched into a smile, cold and calculating. "Interesting."

He turned to the maid. "Ery, what do you make of this?"

The maid tilted her head. "A threat, or an asset, if we can control him." Her voice was smooth, like a blade sliding from its sheath. "Either way, he’s tied to the girl. That connection could be... useful."

The man nodded, his mind already spinning plans. "Juliana’s core was unique. If this boy carries even a piece of it now..." He glanced back at Scarlet, who was still trembling on the floor. "You’re lucky I find this intriguing. You’ll live—for now."

She exhaled, relief flooding her face, but it didn’t last. His next words were ice.

"Find him. Watch him. If he’s a threat, you kill him. If he’s useful, you bring him to me. Fail again, and no resurrection will save you."

"Yes, my lord," she whispered, bowing deeply. "I won’t fail."

"See that you don’t." He waved a hand, dismissing her. She vanished in a swirl of shadow, leaving the room silent once more.

The man picked up a fresh glass, pouring more wine. "A boy," he said softly, almost amused. "Let’s see how long you survive, young hunter."

Ery stepped closer, her eyes gleaming with curiosity. "Should I prepare for his arrival?"

He smirked, raising the glass to his lips. "Prepare for his end. One way or another, he’ll serve my purpose."

The chandelier flickered, casting shadows across the room as thunder rumbled outside.

---

The Guild office was quieter than usual, everyone was out on a mission of their own.

Fin sat across from Mara, her desk cluttered with reports and a steaming mug of coffee. She leaned back in her chair, arms crossed, a rare smile tugging at her lips. Fin, still in his patched-up jacket, fidgeted with his hands, waiting for her to speak.

"Five million credits," she said, sliding a tablet across the desk. The number glowed on the screen, bold and real. "That’s your reward. Guild’s way of saying thanks for playing the hero out there."

He stared at the tablet, mouth half-open. "Five... million?" His voice cracked, and he blinked hard, like the number might vanish if he looked away. "You’re kidding."

"Nope," she said, her smile widening. "You took down that dragon, saved a lot of lives—including the guildmasters’. You earned it."

He leaned back, running a hand through his hair. "I... I don’t even know what to say. That’s more money than I’ve ever seen."

She chuckled. "You’ll figure out how to spend it. But listen, Fin—I’m proud of you. Really. You went from some scrawny slum kid who didn’t know a rank from a rat to... this. In what, a couple weeks? That’s insane."

He scratched his neck, a sheepish grin breaking through. "Yeah, well, I had a lot of help. You, Mrs Jolly, Mr Sam, Meg... Juliana." His voice softened at her name, and he glanced down.

Mara’s expression sobered, but she nodded. "You’ve come a long way fast. Most rookies would’ve cracked under half of what you faced. You didn’t just survive—you fought. That’s rare."

"Thanks," he mumbled, still processing.

Five million credits.

"Take a week off," she cut in, snapping him out of his thoughts. "Rest up, enjoy yourself. You’ve earned that too. No missions, no monsters. Just... breathe for once."

"A week?" He blinked. "What am I supposed to do with that?"

"Whatever you want," she said, shrugging. "Sleep. Eat something expensive or buy something stupid. Just don’t get into trouble—I’m not bailing you out."

He laughed, the tension in his chest easing a bit. "No promises. Meg’s already gonna drag me shopping or something dumb."

"Good. Let her. You need it." She stood, grabbing her coffee. "Now get out of here before I change my mind and put you on cleanup duty."

He grabbed the tablet, still dazed, and headed for the door. "Thanks, Mara. For... everything."

"Don’t get sappy on me," she called after him, but her tone was warm. "See you in a week."

He stepped outside, the cool air hitting his face. Five million credits and a week off. For the first time in forever, he felt like he could actually stop running—just for a little while.

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