Chapter 191: Useless 2

The only difference was that in Min's hands-

In those damned hands was the struggling figure of Leo who with despair looked at Lia. No, Leo didn't want Lia to see him like this. Leo didn't want to be like this. Leo, he wasn't able to do anything.

"Leo!" Lia screamed as Timo made her kneel in front of Min sitting on his throne, effortlessly strangling Leo.

The pain from Timo still cursed inside Lia but none of it mattered. None of it mattered as much as the suffering, the agony and blatant torture Lia had to experience as she helplessly watched Leo.

Not being able to do anything. Only to watch him. Her heart, her soul, all of it was ripped out, ferociously torn into pieces and fed to the devil.

"Min let him go! Let Leo go!" Lia finally managed to properly look at Min. To address him and to talk to him, after all of these years she was once again at his mercy. In front of him.

But this time, it was fundamentally different. Another life was on the line. Someone precious to Lia. Again. Lia struggled and struggled but Timo's grip held her by the neck and forced her to stay on the ground.

"Li…a," Leo scratched at Min's hand that held him but was surprised at how strong Min was. The cold and indifferent glint in his eyes made Leo shiver slighty. In the end, all these years of friendship meant nothing to Min. Just like how Min used Lia and discarded her. Min had no one he cared about.

"A touching reunion," Min glanced between Leo and Lia, "Leo you could have lived if you didn't betray me for something like her."

Lia saw the hostility and hatred Min exuded. She knew that he condemned her for destroying his plans and that she escaped from the abyss. Suddenly, Min flung Leo towards Lia. Leo scrambled and held Lia in his arms after glaring at Timo.

"Leo even if I had given Lia to you, she didn't like you. All she wanted was to cling onto me," Min gave a derogatory laugh but didn't approach them.

"Timo you can leave. You know what to do?"

"Yes," Timo gave a last look at Lia and Leo and left. The door closed behind them and then was locked.

Leo stroked Lia's back and the sight was an eyesore to Min. If it weren't for those two, then his plans would have been successful. Just seeing them made Min wild with rage.

"Lia, you're alive and well. You've been hopping around and getting the hidden families to your side. For what? To take revenge on me?" Min's crooked smile was a sight Lia has never seen before. In fact, all she has ever gotten from him was his blank or indifferent face. Lia wanted to laugh. She has fantasized for so long to face Min yet it was in this pathetic and self-deprecating way.

"Not answering?" Min shifted on his chair and watched Lia and Leo amused. Lia glared at Min when she heard Leo lightly cough.

She instantly turned to Leo and only now saw the bruises around his neck and body. An even worse realisation caught her. Min's green life force was swirling in Leo's wounds. Lia couldn't waste time here with Min, she had to get Leo immediately to Maria and heal him. Leo's body wasn't like Lia's which could purge someone else's lifeforce and heal itself then.

Under Min's piercing gaze, Lia stood up and headed to the door. Yet as expected it was locked and wouldn't budge.

"Let us out," Lia's back faced Min. She couldn't look him in the eyes, even though she had this burning rage inside of her. In front of Min, she was a tame kitten that could only retract her paws.

Min knew what Lia wanted to do. His wordless stares sent shivers down her spine.

"Lia, it's ok," Leo also knew what Lia wanted to do. Even though the pain in him was almost unbearable, Leo could still endure.

Right now, Lia had no means of breaking out of this room nor could use her power against Min. In this locked room, even if she sent her lifeforce out and managed to seep it into the corpses, the corpses couldn't get in. There was only one way to let Leo out. Lia had to surrender to Min. Whatever he wanted, Lia had to oblige.

"What do you want from me?" Lia finally turned to Min, hiding her trembling hands behind her back. Her eyes steadfast held Min's amused stare, "If you let Leo go and stop this war, let the hidden families go, then I'll do whatever you want."

"Lia sto-"

"So, you'll voluntarily go back into the abyss? Without me forcing you?" Min folded his legs and leaned his elbow on his chair's arm, "You'll do that?"

Lia saw it coming, what Min asked of her. She knew that he wanted her to go back to be a sacrifice again. The pain, the suffering of dying over and over again. Could Lia endure it?

"Fine. Only If you promise to abide to my conditions."

"Lia…" Leo wanted to stop Lia.

He knew what she had to go through and he couldn't bear it, but Min's loud laughter stopped everyone, "I can't believe that after all these years, you still haven't learned."

A mocking glint danced in Min's eyes and made it to his lips, "Trying to get me to do what you want? I'm doing you a favour. You won't have to witness everything, but I don't mind if Leo stays alive if he repents for betraying me."

"I-"

"Ok," Lia agreed. The terms could be better but if Leo was fine, "The hidden families?"

"If they surrender, I'll let them live. It's up to them."

Lia should know better than to trust Min but right now she had no other option. Min held all reigns in control.

"You agree?" Min cocked an eyebrow. He didn't assume Lia would bend so easily.

In the first place, he was surprised to hear that she made it out of the abyss and now seeing her in front of him was a peculiar sight.

This thorn in his eyes, this damned woman should be wrenching in the abyss and be his power catalyst yet she was here trying to negotiate with him.

More than that, Leo betrayed him for her. Min had to stay calm, Lia was willing to go to the abyss. Just a little bit more and Min could attain the golden power. The hidden families attacking was a golden opportunity for Min. He could use this as an excuse to kill the remaining three elders and use their cores.

That was why, no matter what, Lia had to go back to the abyss.

"Yes, as I've mentioned before, keep your word."

Min sneered on the inside. Back then she was clinging onto him like a pest, having experienced some tragedy seemed to knock some sense into her. Min was afraid she'd be still lovestruck but didn't have to worry now.

But she became an even bigger pain in the ass. What was with her attitude? A powerless and lowly woman like her should grovel in the dirt.

"It's a deal," Min looked at Leo who held out his hand to beckon Lia closer to him. Leo was injured enough not to retaliate.

Leo knew he couldn't change Lia's mind, he at least wanted to hold her. Having to bear witness that Lia is thrown into the abyss because of him, Leo couldn't take it. When Lia finally got close to Leo, he intertwined his fingers with hers.

"Are you going to let him out now?" Lia waited for Min to move.

With a snap of his fingers, the door opened. Lia didn't even question how before she felt Leo's fingers glide down her body to her legs. She didn't also didn't have time to wonder about Leo's actions as she felt herself falling backwards.

Leo pushed her towards the door while he collected all of his strength to stand up. He coated his legs with his lifeforce before he ran towards Min. Lia felt her tight and realised her knife was gone. Leo was using it to attack Min!

Lia instantly understood what Leo wanted to do. He wanted to give her time to escape. But in a situation like this how could Lia run away and not worry about Leo? It was impossible.

"Leo! Come back!" Lia stood in the middle of the open door but then a green mist approached her. It slung around her waist and forcibly pulled her forwards. Crashing face down on the ground. Of course, even if Leo was at full strength he couldn't do anything against Min. The Ghost King's power was unrivalled.

"That was foolish," Min slammed Leo with a hand against the wall while his life force pressed Lia onto the ground. Gravity was being discarded. Lia couldn't move an inch under the heavy pressure of Min.

Min could let his lifeforce take form as he wanted and worse than that, just as he could give others powers, he could take them.

"No!" Lia pressed out as she once again had to hopelessly watch how Leo was strangled by Min who started to suck out Leo's power. Leo scratched Min's fist to free himself but it was futile. Instead, green light emitted from Min's hand and wandered inside of Leo's body.

"No, Min stop! I told you I'll-"

Thud.

With an even heavier force, Lia was pressed into the ground. Cracks appeared on the ground and Lia felt her bones barely withstanding the pressure. But nothing was more agonising than to see Lep being filled with Min's lifeforce, violently purging Leo. And eventually would end his life.

Lia has been there too. She has been through it as well. But she was thrown into the abyss and subject to the statue that was able to revive her. But nothing and no one could revive or save Leo at this moment.

"No," Lia's choked out whisper was like a light breeze flying towards Leo and surrounding him like a charm. Tears split as he looked at Lia and he fell to the ground when Min let him go.

Min wiped his hands and walked towards the door, "Because of your services Leo, I'll let you time."

The doors opened and Min stepped out, leaving Lia and Leo alone in the room. The pressure on Lia lifted and she instantly crawled towards Leo.

Her violent sobs and his heavy pants grasping for oxygen mingled in the air felt like a heavy veil slowly suffocating the whole room.

They heard the door lock again and all hopes were destroyed.

Brutally torn apart.

But as Leo held Lia for the last time in his arms, somehow everything felt alright.