Thompson clicked his tongue and said, “You insisted on going solo, and what do you bring back? Renzo? You bring back a dangerous man like this -”

“Oh?” Renzo interrupted, reacting to his words.

Renzo slowly approached Thompson.

“Dangerous, you say. What exactly do you mean by that?”

“Sir Renzo, stop it!” Kraken tried to restrain him, but Renzo paid him no heed. He stepped right up to Thompson's face, and the two men glared at each other.

Renzo curled his lip in contempt.

“Tell me. What do you mean by that? What makes me dangerous?”

“Specifics? You're a madman. Just a deranged lunatic who's obsessed with his own pleasure. How can we work together with someone who doesn't understand the meaning of revolution?”

At those words, Renzo fell silent for a moment. The corners of his mouth twitched upwards.

Then, “Wait!” Kraken shouted.

But it was too late. Renzo grabbed Thompson by the shoulder. His speed was such that Thompson couldn't block or evade it. Of course, part of the reason was that Thompson was still injured, but even taking that into account, it was an incredible feat of speed.

CRACK!

“Aaaaargh!” Renzo tore off Thompson's prosthetic arm as if ripping a piece of paper.

Thompson dropped to his knees in agony. He looked up at Renzo with eyes filled with murderous intent. Blood vessels burst in his eyes.

Renzo tilted his head, looking down at Thompson with a mocking gaze.

“For a fake arm, it sure puts up a fight. Kraken was right. You definitely would have been crying like a baby even when you had your real arm.”

“You crazy bastard!”

Thompson exclaimed. The villa was already filled with horror due to Renzo's rampage.

Skyler shouted.

"Kraken! Weren't you supposed to be able to handle Renzo! If you couldn't handle him, you shouldn't have taken him out of Morion!"

"......"

Kraken bit his lip and couldn't answer.

Thompson glared with bloodshot eyes.

"What are you asking such a thing! That the octopus bastard is a traitor! Look at the situation now! That monster doesn't care about 'revolution' or anything! I didn't believe in monsters in the first place!"

Despite Thompson's words, Kraken just clenched its fists and trembled.

Obviously, Kraken took it out thinking that he could handle Renzo. However.

"How is it, Kraken. I just ripped off your colleague's arm. I think that's enough reason to kill me."

"......crazy guy."

"Hahaha!"

Renzo laughed arrogantly even though he was facing Kraken, who was holding his life.

Renzo laughed and said.

"Let me explain instead. It's such a waste to kill me now. Kraken can kill me if it wants. I thought I could control it with that. But what is it actually like? Kraken may have a line in his head, but he can't kill me unless I crosses that line. Because I'm essential to your guys' plan!"

Renzo is now walking a tightrope over his own life.

Kraken had never thought that a person could be so insane to that extent.

As long as Renzo is needed for the plan, as long as the benefits outweigh the losses, Kraken will not kill Renzo. No, it won't be able to kill him.

Right now, Renzo is gauging that 'line of profit and loss' in Kraken's mind. Betting his own life on it.

'There's no doubt. Kraken really thinks of these guys as comrades.'

Kraken may not know it, but Renzo had one more intention. To confirm Kraken's true intentions.

Kraken hasn't killed Renzo yet, but his fury is clearly evident.

If Kraken removes the core it planted in Renzo and kills him, what kind of 'process' will that death take? Is it an instant death, like his head flying off?

No, that can't be it. Kraken's core acts as a heart. In other words, even if he can't avoid death, there is time until he dies. If the conditions are right, there will be enough time to make anyone a companion.

'If worst comes to worst, I could take these guys hostage.'

Having finished his thought, Renzo looked down at Thompson, who was still kneeling.

"Ah, I'm sorry about you. I wasn't really angry at you. It was just that I wanted this thing."

Renzo showed the prosthetic arm he had torn off.

"Hey, you lunatic. Magic prosthetics are custom-made for individuals. Since everyone has different nerves, blood, and bone structures, attaching just any prosthetic will cause a rejection reaction! Especially if it's a torn prosthetic like the one you're holding now, the moment you attach it, you'd experience such severe pain that it could kill you!"

"Oh, is that so?" Renzo's eyes gleamed as if he had learned something new.

Whether he understood Thompson's explanation or not, Renzo tried fitting the prosthetic to his empty arm.

"That sounds interesting."

Crack!

Renzo forcefully inserted the prosthetic under his long-amputated arm. Blood poured out, drenching the prosthetic and dripping onto the floor. Everyone's mouth dropped open in shock.

"Huff, ugh!"

Renzo grimaced and staggered. Cold sweat ran down, and his jaw tensed. He forcefully crammed something not his own arm into place, forcibly awakening and attaching the nerves. It was like forcibly meshing together parts from entirely different machines.

The pain was tremendous. Indeed, it was the kind of severe pain that, just as Thompson had said, wouldn't be surprising if it killed him.

However.

"…That's impossible."

Thompson unwittingly let out a voice. The thumb of the prosthetic moved ever so slightly. It had connected to Renzo's nerves, which it absolutely shouldn't have.

"Ugh! No, not this side! I moved my index finger!"

Crack!

Renzo committed an even more grotesque act. He twisted the already inserted prosthetic inside his arm. To properly align it with his nerves, he subjected himself to shock-like pain once again.

"Thumb, thumb, right. Index finger, good. The wrist, no! That's not it!"

Crack, crackle.

Several more brutal adjustments followed. Inserting it deeper or twisting it, or striking the joint with his fist. Each time, blood poured out, staining the floor. The prosthetic was completely soaked in dark red.

Eventually.

"Hmm, good. That should do it."

Renzo operated the prosthetic from the thumb to the little finger. Everything moved smoothly, and all the joints were perfect.

Renzo smiled wickedly. Kraken, watching this, thought.

─He's a monster. That's not human.

Kraken could smell it from Renzo, more than any monster it had ever encountered outside the domain.

Renzo, still looking at the shocked Thompson, said.

"Let's get along from now on, one-armed man,"