The Strongest Businessman

Chapter 48 48: Consumed by Darkness

Dylan and everyone else cried for Leila's death. Their eyes were filled with anger and hate from the death of their beloved colleague, Leila Hemsworth. They were fuming with the desire to avenge their fallen comrade but they were already spent and exhausted. They also needed some time to recharge their energy reserves. So, they could only bitterly grit their teeth.

"I know that you want to avenge Leila's death but leave this to me first. If you are able to regain about 50% of your energy, you can come and help me." Dylan stood up and handed over Leila's corpse to Allana.

"But, sir, there are nearly 400 soldiers..." Frank was worried that Dylan might not be able to handle this task. Not only Frank, every employee thought of what Dylan tried to do and could not help but worry. They wanted to step forwards and volunteer but they wouldn't be much of help without a certain amount of energy.

"I know but we don't have a choice. I am the only one here who is still capable of fighting them." Dylan spoke truthfully.

"But you might die, big bro! Please don't go!" Scarlet suddenly interjected and begged for her brother to stay as she cried. She was already experiencing so much pain from the death of Leila whom she always played with. She would not be able to take it if her elder brother were to die as well.

"It's okay. It's fine. Big bro will be fine. I won't be killed by these men. So just behave and hide at everyone's back. If something bad happens, run and prioritize your life." Dylan knelt and gently stated.

"Big brooo, nooo!" Scarlet was crying as she held her big brother's hand unwilling to let go.

"I'm sorry, Scarlet." Dylan hit Scarlet's neck which made Scarlet faint. This was a little trick Dylan learned back when he was at Earth training Martial Arts. When Scarlet fainted, Dylan carried her and stood up. Although it pained him to do this, but it was the only thing she could do to protect his little sister.

"I leave her to you, Frank. Please take care of her." Dylan gave little Scarlet for Frank to hold and he looked at Frank with sterness.

"Yes, sir Dylan. I understand." Frank nodded and seemingly understood what Dylan implied. He took Scarlet and fled to safety. Frank felt guilty about doing this since he already pledged his life to Dylan. But, he knew how serious Dylan was when he saw his expression. So, Frank had no choice but to follow.

"Thank you." Dylan turned around and walked towards the rebel army like a lone wolf preparing for battle.

"You will pay for this, Byron!!!" Dylan roared as he went to his mindscape and grabbed 100 Primal Stones to crush! After crushing these stones, he was able to fully regain all of his lost power and fill his energy reserves! But these came with an exchange, Dylan was experiencing extreme pain dedue to the forced refill of his energy reserves.

"Hahahaha, you, make me pay, how? You have yet to defeat your rebels and my puppets so how are you sure that you are able to make me pay? Hahahaha!" Byron ridiculed Dylan's claim.

Dylan knew what Byron said was true but he did not have any choice but face the enemy by himself. He had to buy time as much as possible in order for his employees to have enough strength to flee. Yes, to flee. He lied to his employees about this. He planned that after half an hour of bitter fighting. He would give his last orders and have his employees flee while he tries to flee as well.

Dylan knew even if they were to fully recover, the battle would still be lost. That is why even if it meant risking his life, he couldn't allow any one of his employees to die once more.

Dylan did not reply but charged to the rebel army alone! Thus, a bitter fight against a man and an army began. Dylan knew he can't keep every single one in the army occupied but he would still try to stop anyone from the army to advance from where he stood.

Seeing Dylan risking his life, the employees could not help but feel utterly useless. They felt that they should not just be staying idle while Dylan was out there risking his life in order to buy them enough time to recuperate. Since Dylan was prepared to sacrifice his life for them, they felt like they needed to reciprocate this favor as well.

"Should we just let sir Dylan fight alone?!" Jack rallied his colleagues to increase their morale.

"No!" The employees replied back in unison.

"That's right! Even if it meant risking our lives, we will fight!" Ronald shouted too.

"Aye!" The workers replied once more.

"Are we going to fight with sir Dylan until death!?" Larry boosted the confidence of the workers even more.

"We are!" The employees roared. Allana placed Leila's? corpse on the bed at the back of the restaurant where Scarlet once slept and she joined them after leaving her lying their.

"Charge!!!" All of them yelled as they journeyed to the enemy forces.

Dylan was in the midst of battle. Knowing that these are all innocent men, he couldn't find it in himself to be ruthless enough to kill these people. So he decided to knock them out by inflicting heavy injuries. The assassin was the only exception because he caused harm to Leila and Dylan was unable to contain his emotions and killed the assassin before he could flee.

It was about fifteen minutes since he started fighting. In order to successfully defend until now, he had already used 18 'Energy Slashes' to stop thiose who tried to advance. He has already depleted his stock of Primal Stones by doing so. He was fast approaching his limit because his Spirit Veins System can no longer take this type of repetitive recovering and exhausting of energy.

He felt tired and the fatigue from the nonstop engagement in combat. He was already covered in blood and sweat but he still persevered for the sake of his employees. He had just slashed a warrior's chest when he heard a roar.

"Charge!!!"

Clamoring of armor and weapons was the next thing he heard. Battle Techniques were executed one after the other. Dylan found it strange so he decided to check out the field and he saw his employees fighting the rebel army while yelling, "To The Death!".

Dylan was shocked and he dashed to his employees in a hurry.

"Why did you all fight without getting proper rest?!" Dylan reprimanded his employees.

"Sir Dylan, please forgive us. We didn't want you to continue your lone wolf style of fighting because if you continued on doing so, you might have already died. Besides, even if we did recover some of our strength, it would still be the same result. So, we just rushed here to aid you in battle." Ronald replied quick-wittedly.

"Since you already knew, why didn't you run away?" Dylan could only bitterly ask.

"Because we already pledged to never abandon you so we are here." Jack replied as he fought.

"You, guys..." Dylan couldn't help but feel warmth in his heart because of his employees' intentions.

"Then, let's fight to the death!" Larry roared.

"To the death!" Dylan yelled in unison with his employees.

They fought the army of Spirit Veins Realm Cultivators and above. Though they were being pushed back, they did not falter, but instead, fought with everything they got.

*Flick*

A sound of a fingers flicking could be heard and eighty shadows went to the battlefield? and pinned down Dylan and his employees!

*BANG* *CRASH*

Dylan could not move any part of his body as he was being pinned down by a puppet human! When he scanned the area, Dylan saw that every single one of his employees were pinned down to the ground! Dylan was shocked when he saw that all of them were being pinned down by Byron's puppet humans which were identical? to the first batch of puppets.

The everyone in the rebel army had the expression of emptiness. The army split into half and made way for Byron who was walking towards Dylan. Byron slowly approached Dylan with his hands behind his back.

"I commend you for lasting this long. I did not expect to meet an SS-grade Magna Magnate in this Middle Proximity City. To be able to prevent me, a Lord, from controlling the minds of these plebeians you call your employees, you surely are of that grade or even higher. So, I'll offer you this because you have such a high class talent with you. Be my apprentice and join the Darkness Castle or become my puppet." Byron offered as he smiled evilly.

"Become your apprentice? You must be dreaming!!" Dylan spat saliva on the shoe of Byron.

"What a pity. I gave you the opportunity to be vastly powerful yet you did not grasp it. But either way, it's okay. I'll just have to harness great amounts of hate to make you a Devil Lord Puppet." Byron was disappointed that he wasn't? able to make Dylan his apprentice but he could still settle for a high rank puppet.

"What do you mean harness hatred?" Dylan had an ominous feeling due to what Byron said.

"What I mean? It simply means that I will kill all of your employees... in front of you!" Byron smiled.

"What the hell?! You bastard!!!" Dylan bellowed as hate started to show from his eyes but he did his best to control his emotions because he knew this was what Byron would want to happen.

"That's right hate me! But I'm not done just yet! Wait for the main show to arrive." Byron's smile became denser.

"Huh?... Frank... Scarlet? NOOOO!!!!" Dylan screamed when he saw a puppet was carrying Scarlet who was struggling in one arm and carried the bloody and unmoving body of Frank in the other. His mental fortitude began to crack when he saw her sister struggling at the hands of the Devil Puppet.

"Uncle Frank!! Nooo!!" Mary and Marie sobbed as they saw the bloody carcass of their uncle. They wanted to go to him but they were being pinned down by the Devil Puppets to the ground. Feeling helpless, they could only cry.

"What a pity, your uncle fought back when my puppet stopped them. That is why he's? all dead now." Byron told the Aaron cousins what happened to their uncle and it resulted them glaring hatefully at him.

"As for your sister, I'll save the best for last. I'll make you see a grand ending. I'll torture your beautiful little sister and once I'm done with her, I'll have her be violated again and again by these rebels! Then kill her afterwards! That would be quite an amusing show, wouldn't it?" Byron stated in an amusing manner.

"Byron, you monster, you animal, you devil!!!" Dylan growled as his eyes became increasingly bloodshot. Because of anger and hate, his reasoning was clouded. His soft spot was his little sister and now that Scarlet was in danger, he continued to roar in madness and despair.

"Don't worry. You'll be free from being pinned down when I kill everyone you love." Byron continued to smile coldly.

"But before I release you, I must first break all the bones of your limbs and chest." Byron stepped on Dylan's arms? and legs one by one and thoroughly crashing his bones. After which, he had the puppet punch his chest dozens of times and thoroughly broke his ribs.

"ARRRRRGHHHHHHH!!!!" Dylan roared in immense pain. He fainted a few times already but was already awoken by the pain he felt.

"SIIIR DYLAAAAN!!" All of the employees cried in pain when they saw how Dylan was being tortured by Byron and his puppets.

"BIIIIG BROOO!!! NOOOO, STOOOOPP HURTING HIM!!!" Scarlet screamed so loudly that it scared some birds. She cried so much when she saw how her brother? was being maltreated. She couldn't stand the sight of her brother who always cared for others to be tortured like this.

"Now, to destroy your Cultivation Base and seal your Magnate Strength." Byron punctured Dylan's abdomen and broke his Cultivation Base. He then formed a seal and placed it on Dylan's? forehead to seal his Magnate Strength.

"There. Now I release you from being pressed down." Byron gestured his puppet and it slowly floated towards him.

"Byron, you're a monster!!!"

"Byron, you're a beast!!!"

"You're no human! You're a true devil's incarnate!"

Everyone who cared for Dylan cursed Byron. They can't do anything? but say curses. However, to Byron, who was already used to this, it was nothing but music to his ears.

"Oho, you all are already legible to be low-rank Devil Puppets! This is quite the harvest." Byron felt proud of his achievements.

"Now to kill all of you! Devil Puppets, ready yourselves!" Byron signalled the puppets. The puppets placed their hands on top of the head and on the chin to ready and dislocate the necks of Dylan's? employees.

"No...ooo..." Dylan was crying as he used his chin to drag his entire body. His chest, arms and legs were completely and totally destroyed. He couldn't use his energy in Cultivation and Magnate Strength. He was no different to a cripple in this state.

"Get, set!" Byron signalled.

"Stop... it... please..." Dylan cried as he tried to hasten his movements. His chin was bleeding and scarred yet he still kept moving forward disregarding the pain he felt.

"It has been a pleasure serving you, sir Dylan." Jack accepted his fate and said his farewell.

"Goodbye, sir Dylan. I'll see you in the Heavens and there, we could drink to our heart's content!" Ronald said as he tried to control his tears

"Don't cry, sir Dylan. We'll still see each other in the Heavens. Promise me to recreate the Gardenford Restaurant there. We promise to work twice as hard." Larry and Rick bid farewell while tears flowed down their eyes.

"Sir Dylan..."

"Sir Dylan..."

"Sir Dylan..."

"Thank you for everything!" They all bid their farewells to Dylan with smiles on their faces.

"Go!" Byron signalled and the puppets followed as they twisted the heads of Dylan's employees!

"NOOOO!!!!!!!" Dylan and Scarlet howled in anguish and pain.

"You... will.... DIE!!!!" Dylan's wrath soared to the skies. He only had one desire! To kill Byron! Due to the nearing death of his employees and comrades, his hate became so dense and so strong that Dylan started to conjure pitch black gasses like Andrew and Byron. But Dylan's dark clouds were more darker and concentrated than Andrew's. It's shade almost approached Byron's Dark Clouds!

"MANSION! PLEASE HELP ME!!! HELP ME SAVE MY EMPLOYEES BEFORE THEY DIE!! PLEASE GIVE ME POWER TO DO SO!!!" Dylan went to his mindscape to beg to the mansion to give him power because outside his employees our currently going to be executed by Byron's puppets. But to no avail, no matter how much he begged, he was not given anything.

"Shouldn't gifts like you help transcenders like me in my TIME OF NEED?!?! Why can't you do just that?!" Dylan continued to curse the mansion inside his mind. He couldn't understand why. Almost all of the MC's he has read would receive a power up in these times of life and death situations. He just couldn't understand why wasn't he granted the same?!

'What the hell?! He is able to conjure Hell Clouds? without the use of the Darkness Castle Sutra?! What's more is that it's already as nearly dark as mine?! Just what kind of talent is this kid that he is able to conjure Hell Clouds without external help?!' Byron was totally shocked about this sudden discovery.

"I guess I have to take you to the Darkness Castle with me to be trained by Castle Lord. I didn't expect an X-grade Magna Magnate in this country. I'll have to deal with you first before killing your employees." He created another set of seals. This time it was a dozen seal that he distributed to Dylan's? body which caused the dark clouds to be slowly sealed. For the final seal, he had to place it at the heart so Byron formed finger sword and and strike Dylan's chest.

But before he could place it, he sensed an extremely bright and hot aura that appeared out of nowhere. When he turned his head, he was punched and sent flying hundreds of meters to the forest! Byron felt and extremely hot feeling in his face it was as though his face was burned! The punch burnt? the hood and revealed his face.

The final seal was not put into place. The residual dark clouds that Dylan had conjured due to anger and hate seeped to his chest until they disappeared.

"I can't let you kill anyone who I love!" The one who spoke was none other than Scarlet. But she was completely different from before. Right now, she was surrounded by flames that formed nine flames. Her eyes was like stars that could burn anything and his hair danced like the flames. The flames that surrounded her was so strong that it was able to incinerate all the puppets pressing down on Jack and the others.

But the most distinguishable feature that Scarlet currently had, was the "nine tails" that were portruding behind her petite body!

Byron got up. He was stunned when he saw Scarlet's current form and spoke the words. " Nine-tailed Sacred Flame Dawn Fox.."