Chapter 131 - 110: The Nightmare Maker

Chapter 131: Chapter 110: The Nightmare Maker

The banquet hall’s carpet was already stained red with fresh blood.

After the baptism of the bloody party, the Assassins all knew that the young man before them possessed an incredibly crazed and ruthless heart.

He dared to kill even nobles with ease, let alone Heartless Assassins like them.

The fact that a Heartless could be killed was in itself unbelievable, but it had indeed happened right before their eyes.

The Assassins were terrified, feeling the scythe hanging over their heads slowly descending.

The virus couldn’t take their lives, but like the cruelest of plagues, it was steadily eroding their willpower, making them weak, selfish, and desperate to survive.

Only a few, with steadfast convictions, believed that even if they survived this, nothing good would come of it.

The consequences of betraying Lady Mary were more brutal than descending into Hell itself.

And they weren’t assassins who walked alone; they had families living in the Rose Territory.

"Tell me now, who among you has a family?"

Lian suddenly asked.

Facing Lian now, the Assassins were like prisoners before the strictest of wardens; they had to answer every question.

Even if they didn’t answer, Lian had his ways of prying their mouths open.

Of the 25 Assassins, 8 had families, while the other 17 were orphans like Anna and Annie.

Lian knew that compared to the orphans, these 8 Assassins would be far more loyal to Mary.

So, without any hesitation, after clearing the [Heartless] tag from these eight Assassins, he executed them.

If they didn’t die, their families back in the Rose Territory would surely suffer brutal torture.

Lian didn’t feel it was an injustice to kill them. At the very least, he could save the innocents who had committed no crime.

As for the other 17 Assassins, watching their comrades die one after another, their last psychological defenses completely crumbled. They looked at Lian in despair.

Surprisingly, not a single one of these Assassins begged for mercy.

This piqued Lian’s interest.

"Why aren’t you begging for your lives?"

Lian looked at them.

"No one accepts the loyalty of a Heartless," one of the Assassins said, voicing the thoughts of them all. "Our hearts are with Lady Mary. Our fate was sealed long ago."

Even if they wanted to betray Mary, they couldn’t. And even if they did, they would never gain the trust of a new master. What would be the point?

Besides, the moment Mary discovered their betrayal, she would mercilessly crush their hearts. They would still be unable to escape death.

It was a checkmate, unless they could kill the man before them—Lian.

But they were already infected by the virus, completely powerless to fight back.

After losing control that one time, Dora’s Magic Power had reached a level far beyond what it once was.

Previously, her virus could at most incapacitate a Heartless for a minute or two. But now, even a Five-star Knight would be forced to their knees before her, unable to break free from its effects for at least half an hour.

And they would have to endure both physical and mental torment.

This was also why Dora hoped Lian would clear her magic channels a few more times; she had truly tasted the benefits.

Not only had Lian broken the Curse that Witches couldn’t be healed, but he had also shattered the convention that Witches couldn’t continue to increase their Power.

To a Witch, Lian was perhaps more alluring than any Gift.

"If I can kill a Heartless, I can naturally grant a Heartless Rebirth."

Lian looked at the tormented expressions of the Assassins.

"The question is, do you want the chance to be reborn?"

"If you can truly help us, we are willing to pledge our eternal loyalty to you."

Turning Mary’s subordinates against her was also one of Lian’s great pleasures.

He wasn’t a person who enjoyed killing, and he had already killed more than enough people today.

An hour later, a brand-new team of assassins had taken shape.

The 17-member assassin squad was no longer Heartless, but they still possessed skills honed over many years of training. They could no longer maintain their undying state, but they would also never again have to experience the pain of turning into monsters on the night of the full moon. They had not gained freedom, but they had received salvation.

The assassin squad swore an oath of loyalty to Lian, pledging it in the name of the God of Tiger.

Lian saw the [Heart of Loyalty] tag appear on them and nodded in satisfaction.

This wave of cleanup work was complete. He had harvested 13,000 Points.

When Khrish, the unconscious Governor of Yusofa, awoke, he found himself lying on a soft, large bed.

Everything from last night felt like a dream.

But unfortunately, when he opened his eyes, the first person he saw was the master of his nightmares: the young Lord of Green Shade Territory, Lian.

"Uncle Chris, did you sleep well last night?"

Lian asked with a smile, as if nothing had happened the night before.

"I... I slept alright. I think I should be going. There are many matters in Yusofa waiting for me to handle."

Khrish didn’t know why, but he felt an instinctive fear of the young man before him. He wanted to flee immediately and regroup.

"Oh, Uncle Chris, I’m afraid I’ll have to delay you a while longer. You can’t possibly miss Catherine’s succession ceremony. Aren’t you also a vassal of the Jackson Family?"

Lian asked.

"Succession ceremony? Has a date already been set?"

Khrish asked nervously.

This was undoubtedly a suspended death sentence for his family.

"Yes, in three days. Grand Priest Cosme Pizarro has agreed to stay and preside over the ceremony. With the Church Court’s acknowledgment, Catherine’s position will be unshakable."

Lian explained with a smile.

Khrish’s heart sank to the depths.

He understood now that Lian must have dealt with all of last night’s Assassins.