Casseus eyed Rick up and down. The boy may have managed to acquire a substantial amount of power within the last few months, but he had to remember that at the end of the day, Rick was a teenager and very susceptible to manipulate.
"Well Rick, do you feel you're ready for this kind of challenge?" Casseus asked Rick when they were alone.
"Challenge? It's no challenge, Travis and his little friends are going to be easy pickings in my book." Rick smirked.
"Yes, that's the thing though, isn't it? You may be ready for young Travis and his friends, but I highly doubt you'd be ready for the older wizards. They gave myself and Villar so much trouble all those years ago. I managed to cripple one of them, but even so I underestimated their combined power." Casseus said shaking his head.
"Well that's where you failed then, old man. I know what and who I'm up against and I'm ready for them." Rick said confidently.
"But that's just it, you might be ready for them. But who's to say you couldn't take on the older wizards with the power you posses now. With the amount of power you have, I'm certain you could rival me in combat." Casseus said trying to hype up Rick as his smile grew wide.
"I managed to paralyze one yes, but you have already done so much more than I thought possible. You took control of a vampire, had him attack several demon hunters, and cripple one of of them, gave half of them distrust over the current vampire lord and even managed to split their little group in half. Now if you could do all that with the young wizards, imagine what kind of pain and torment you could bring onto the older ones." Casseus said as Rick now rubbed his chin in deep thought.
Casseus's plan was getting through to Rick, he just needed to sell the deal and Rick's fate would be set.
"The Boss has wanted results and you have brought him more results than I could have given him in these last few months. If you were to go up against the older wizards and give them a beating worth remembering, the Boss will definitely hold you in high favor." Cassues said as Rick now nodded his head while smiling.
"Then it will just be a matter of time before you're moving up in the world. When the time comes, you'll be sitting where the Boss is now, you've got the makings of greatness in you, but you've gotta take charge despite the hard blows." Casseus said as he noticed Rick's confidence clearly building up. Now came the final act of his gaslighting game.
"Oh, but really now, what am I thinking?" Casseus said shaking his head. "No that's asking too much. Taking out a group of teenagers is one thing but the older ones? No, perhaps you should leave them to someone more experienced." Casseus said before he began walking away.
"Wait!" Rick called back to Casseus as he stopped and turned back to him. "You don't think I have the experience needed to fight them? I have enough experience with them all ready. That deer bitch certainly had plenty of power and I've already trained myself more than enough by now." Rick said shaking his head and smiling.
"You know what? I think you have a good point Casseus, I've got plenty of power now to show those old wizards that it's a young blood's game now and that they should just retire before they're six feet under the ground. You've really opened my eyes, thanks." Rick thanked as he walked away with Casseus smiling and waving him off.
Casseus then took out his phone and dialed Melissa.
"It worked, just like you said." Casseus informed Melissa.
"It did? Oh, I almost wish I could be there to see his little body squirm in his last seconds of life and watch as his body goes motionless. It would feel like bliss to me." Melissa said.
"And I owe it all to you. Do you think you can stop whatever you have going on right now? I'm in a good mood and I want to put you in a good mood too." Casseus said as Melissa smirked on the other side of the phone, she and Casseus were going to have a very good night.