Chapter 363: The Talon Tradition?
Interrogation and Torture
"Who are you? How do you know about Dionesium? Who told you?" The mysterious person was shocked. Dionesium was a secret of the Court of Owls that only the most central members were privy to. How could an outsider know?
Luke sized him up with satisfaction.
"It seems you're not just a nobody. Good."
"William Cobb, he's all yours. Remember, I want him alive."
"Yes, Master." William Cobb nodded excitedly, a look of perverse joy in his eyes. Though his memory was fragmented, the torture he'd endured was not forgotten. This man had caused him too much pain, and now, he was going to return everything he'd experienced.
Soon, blood-curdling screams echoed through the chamber.
William Cobb employed the interrogation techniques he'd learned from the Court of Owls, his large, vice-like hands moving over the mysterious man's body. Bones cracked like popping beans wherever he touched. The level of agony was unimaginable to anyone who hadn't experienced it.
Luke had no interest in watching this grim, fated scene. He turned and walked to the computer to search the data.
His guess was correct: the stone chamber was a cryo-sleep facility prepared specifically for the Talons. Although the Talons possessed near-immortality, they couldn't live a normal life. If they were active for too long, their original memories would resurface. To prevent the Talons from revolting, the Court of Owls had created this freezing system, placing the Talons in cryo-sleep and only waking them when needed.
The "coffins" in the room were part of the freezing system.
Luke walked to one of the closed coffins and clicked the power button on top. The lid slowly opened, revealing a body encased in ice.
"Just as I thought!" Four coffins, two closed and two open. This meant another Talon had been sent out on a mission tonight.
"William Cobb!"
"I am here, Master."
"Break his left leg."
"Yes, Master." William Cobb's eyes flashed fiercely. He stomped down with one foot.
Crack!
A pig-like shriek filled the room. The mysterious person's left kneecap was shattered, and he nearly passed out from the pain.
Luke walked up to him and said indifferently,
"Tell me everything you know about the Court of Owls, including the roster, the masterminds, the location of the headquarters, and Dionesium."
"If you cooperate, I will break your hands and feet and let you live a wretched life. If you don't, I will kill you."
"Devil! You are a devil!" The mysterious man screamed frantically, his eyes bloodshot with murderous rage. Having lived a privileged life since childhood, he had never suffered such torture. What terrified him more was his captor's ruthless, cruel approach. He was tortured immediately upon capture, not even given a chance to speak. It was clear the man didn't care about his life.
"Who are you? Why are you after us?"
"You want to know my background? No problem, but..." Luke suddenly smiled, changing the subject. "Do you really want to know?"
The mysterious man's face froze, and he instantly sobered up.
Luke chuckled and continued,
"You seem like a smart man. If you don't know my identity, you might live. If you know, you will surely die."
"Have you made up your mind? If so, give me an answer. If not, I'll have to let William Cobb continue. He looks very eager to torment you."
The mysterious man was speechless. He suppressed the pain and hissed, "What do you want to know?"
"That's more like it! When you're caught, you cooperate. Refusal only makes things harder, just like the saying: 'Confess and be lenient, resist and be punished.'"
The mysterious man clenched his teeth, resisting the urge to curse him. Countless malicious thoughts flooded his mind, but he dared not show a single hint of it.
The Great Deception
"Back to the original question: Where is the Dionesium?" Luke crouched in front of him, questioning him coldly. "Don't tell me you don't know."
The mysterious man gasped for a few breaths, gritting his teeth. "Dionesium is the primary material used to create the Talon unit. It's top secret. Its location is only known to the Grandmasters. No one else is privy to it." Feeling the murderous intent radiating from Luke, he quickly added,
"Truly, I'm not lying to you. Even if you kill me, you still won't find out!" His final words were tinged with a pleading tone.
Luke clenched his fist, suppressing his impatience. "What do you mean by Grandmasters?"
"The Grandmasters are the supreme leaders of the Court of Owls. There are usually three of them. Typically, one handles daily affairs, one manages the secret training facilities, and one liaises with the members. Five years ago, one Grandmaster died, leaving only two now."
"What are their true identities?"
"How would I know that?" The mysterious man forced a bitter smile. "Everyone wears a mask, absolutely everyone. Some even use voice changers. Unless you're extremely familiar with them, you can't guess. It's the Court of Owls' tradition; every member involved must wear the Falcon Mask. Apart from the Grandmasters, no one knows the identity of the person behind the mask."
"What is your position in the Court of Owls?"
"I am an administrator. I'm mainly responsible for the four Talons in this chamber. When there's a mission, I come to the cave, thaw a Talon, and have them execute the order. Once the mission is complete, I lock them back in the coffin for freezing."
"What if a Talon is disobedient?" Luke asked, glancing at William Cobb with interest. "What do you do?"
The mysterious man hesitated for a moment, then said nervously, "Punishment!"
Luke held up the "remote control." "With this?"
The mysterious man nodded.
Luke exerted pressure and crushed the "remote control" into fragments. It was clear that the supposed "punishment device" was just useless plastic.
"I'm genuinely curious. How do you manage to make a Talon feel pain with this thing that's nothing more than garbage?"
"Well..." The mysterious person was speechless, large beads of sweat breaking out on his forehead. The cold air immediately froze the sweat into frost, making him shiver.
After a long pause, he stammered, "It's actually a method from the circus. I heard that when they train young assassins, they put certain drugs in their food. When the assassin's mind is vulnerable, they take out the remote and administer the punishment. After doing it repeatedly, they develop a conditioned response..."
He trailed off there, looking up nervously, slightly embarrassed.
Luke's expression was strange. He glanced at the agonized face of William Cobb and burst into laughter.
"Fascinating! This is absolutely fascinating! Hahahaha!!"
"The Court of Owls, using a tamer's technique on human beings. You truly are a resourceful bunch."
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