I vomited bile in the corner of the alley after cremating the man's remains with fire magic. Once my stomach was empty, I cleansed my mouth with water magic.
The Eclipse are one step ahead, I see. I guess that's to be expected. They wouldn't just let soone who knows their secrets get away without consequences. They cast a curse to ensure his silence, permanently. The mont he tried to reveal the cult leader's na, he signed his own death sentence. Catching this cult is not going to be easy...
Still, their thod is overkill. I never thought they'd curse their mbers so that if they spoke out of turn, their heads would literally blow off. This cult must be dealt with.
Hmm? Wait, if that man wasn't a danger to the concert, then what was that feeling I got? Oh no...!
Panic surged through as I sprinted back towards the concert, my heart pounding in my chest. That man wasn't the source of my intuition's warning. Soone else was. There was soone else!
When I arrived, the scene was deceptively calm. The concert was still in full swing, the music echoing through the night air, and the crowd appeared oblivious, lost in the rhythm and energy. Nothing seed out of the ordinary. Was my intuition wrong? My skill had never been so unreliable as to give a false alarm.
Or maybe the threat hadn't surfaced yet. I scanned the area, my senses on high alert. Every shadow, every unfamiliar face, every movent in the crowd was a potential danger. I couldn't afford to let my guard down. The real threat was still out there, lurking, waiting for the right mont to strike.
***
Leon's POV
"I already told you, didn't I? The cult leader ordered us to carry out many reprehensible acts. That included kidnapping won, and then...sacrificing them in front of the statue of their evil god. I don't know their ultimate goal, honestly. I only joined for the perks. But looking back, I think I grasp their agenda now.
Frankly, I believe they were attempting to awaken that evil god. It's re speculation on my part."
I listened intently to the voice of a man being interrogated, the sound crackling through the smartphone speaker. His words revealed sothing intriguing and confird my suspicions about Sesillian.
I had two theories about why Sesillian didn't touch Charlotte, despite her practically throwing herself at him. It was bizarre, considering how stunning Charlotte is. She has the face of a model and a body to match—long, elegant legs and a figure that would make any man look twice. Sure, her breasts were average in size, but that was hardly a concern.
With her combination of beauty and allure, no man could resist if she made a move. And I was no exception, of course.
That's why I speculated that perhaps the reason he hadn't laid a finger on Charlotte was because he couldn't. My first theory revolves around him being the cult leader of the Eclipse. According to Gabrielle, the Eclipse had a history of kidnapping nurous won, particularly unmarried ones—who, by implication, were likely virgins.
None of these won ever returned, leading to suspect they were sacrificial offerings to appease so malevolent deity or ritual. Virgin sacrifices aren't uncommon in this world. Just like in my world, such dark practices find their place here. That's probably why he avoided touching Charlotte—because he needed her to remain chaste.
My second speculation is... well, Sesillian might actually be gay. It's just a gut feeling I have, but there's a chance it's true.
Those are my two speculations.
Hearing this solidified my initial suspicion. Yet, I couldn't shake off the question of why Sesillian singled out Charlotte. The Eclipse had paused their kidnappings for a stretch, only to resu their operations targeting Charlotte exclusively. According to Gabrielle's intel, there had been no further sightings of the Eclipse since their botched attempt to abduct her.
What made Sesillian so fixated on Charlotte? Was it her uniqueness, or perhaps her royal lineage? I recalled that Charlotte's late mother was a forr princess who perished giving birth to her. Could that be Sesillian's motive?
It was a pity, however, that Charlotte was no longer a virgin. This detail ant the Eclipse's sche had already been foiled by . Knowing I had outmaneuvered that cult filled with a deep sense of satisfaction and accomplishnt.
After listening for a while, I heard the disturbing sound of a wet plop, as if flesh had burst. It seed Professor Rose's captive had been killed before revealing more.
I stopped listening and stretched. Simultaneously, a woman appeared beside and imdiately took a knee. Her na is Krista, a mber of the Shadows. Her skill is probably the most overpowered I've ever seen: Sensory Manipulation. Just the na hints at its strength, but if you still doubt it, allow to explain.
Essentially, she has complete control over her senses and those of others. She wielded authority over sight, sll, hearing, touch, taste, balance, and pain, granting her the ability to manipulate them at will. She could heighten sensations to exhilarating levels, diminish them to near non-existence, or entirely erase them temporarily.
In addition, she possessed the formidable capability to shield herself from overwhelming stimuli and induce illusions that could deceive even the keenest minds. She could inflict or alleviate pain at her discretion—able to nullify suffering within herself while intensifying agony in her adversaries.
Her skill was nothing short of overwhelming and extraordinarily versatile.
However, there were limitations to her abilities. She could only affect those within a 50-ter radius centered around herself. Despite this constraint, the power she wielded was undeniable.
All the events orchestrated at Professor Rose's were orchestrated by . I was aware that she was an agent of the Administrators assigned to investigate the Eclipse. Gabrielle provided valuable insights into the professors I targeted, aiding in gathering information about their interests and activities.
Discovering her status as an agent wasn't difficult given Gabrielle's information gathering. It bordered on stalking, but obtaining her remarkably useful skill necessitated such actions.
With thorough investigations on all concert attendees, we discovered one was a forr cult mber. I had Krista use her Sensory Manipulation to deceive Professor Rose into believing her Intuition had guided her. Krista then led him to the man, and the rest unfolded seamlessly. It was smoother than I expected.
Now ard with so intel, however minimal, on the cult, I await the right mont to strike and eradicate them from the kingdom. My first step is to neutralize Charlotte completely so she becos mine.
And then, I'd bring down Sesillian, using Charlotte herself. Just the thought of it nearly made laugh.
I glanced at Krista and motioned for her to stand up, which she did.
"Good job," I said.
"For you, Master, I'll do anything," she replied.
"Now, shall we move on to the next step?" I suggested.
"Yes, Master," she said, then vanished from sight. She likely used her skill to completely nullify her presence and slip away. That skill was seriously overpowered.
Now, all I have to do is wait. Soon enough, Rose will be mine.
***
Arianne's POV
The distant music was filling my ears, creating an eerie soundtrack as I closed the store with my father. The evening shadows lengthened, signaling the end of the day. We were almost done, the last few tasks dragging on, when a strange sensation made freeze.
I ducked instinctively, my heart pounding, and felt the rush of air as sothing whizzed just above my head. My pulse raced, adrenaline surging through my veins. I turned back and saw them— figures silhouetted against the darkening sky, perched on the rooftop like predatory birds. Their eyes glead with intent, and in their hands, they held firearms, glinting ominously under the dim streetlights.
"We're the Royal Knights, and we've received intel that you two are tied to the rebel group Silver Blades! Anyone colluding with insurgents is labeled a traitor to the kingdom, and that's high treason punishable by death! So, whether you surrender or not, you're facing execution! I suggest you surrender to make it easier on yourselves!"
The Royal Knights had sohow caught wind of this? How? I was certain no one could have possibly known we were associated with the Silver Blades.
"We're not involved with that damn rebel group! What the hell are you talking about?!"
"Quit bullshitting! We've got solid intel that you're one of them! Want us to shove the evidence in your face?!"
Fuck! Did soone betray us? But who? No, dwelling on that was pointless. There was a traitor among us. I had braced myself for this mont, knowing we might be exposed sooner or later...
As I contemplated this, my eyes fell upon my father. He lay slumped over, eyes wide with shock, blood oozing from a gaping wound in his forehead. Yes, blood dripped steadily from that hole in his forehead. His eyes were devoid of life. He was dead.
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