Chapter 140: Eighteen Months of Regret

Chapter 140. Eighteen Months of Regret

The girl crossed her arms. "Most handsome man in Lumenford? Please." She sneered. "Lord Rey is way more handsome than you."

I blinked. That was unexpected.

Adrian’s face immediately darkened. "He doesn’t count. Because he isn’t from Lumenford!"

The girl rolled her eyes. "That’s a stupid excuse."

"And he’s dangerous," Adrian snapped. "Have you forgotten what people say about him? Rey Valen. That mad magus. He’s basically a weapon pretending to be human."

My eyes narrowed.

"He uses forbidden magic. He’s a psychopath. Who knows what he actually did during the war?"

The girl looked uncomfortable. "He saved the missing brides."

"That’s what everyone says." Adrian scoffed. "But how do we know he didn’t cause the disappearances himself? He could’ve arranged the whole thing and then pretended to save everyone. Think about it. He shows up, solves a case nobody else could solve, and suddenly everyone treats him like some great hero." He folded his arms. "Sounds suspicious to me."

I stared at the back of his head. So that was his conclusion. What extraordinary reasoning. If stupidity could be converted into mana, this bastard would probably rival the Dark Lord himself.

The girl shook her head. "You’re disgusting, Adrian." She turned away. "Don’t talk to me again."

He reached toward her arm, but she pulled away and hurried back toward the mourners.

Adrian watched her leave with an irritated expression. "Tch. Whatever."

I remained behind the tree. For several seconds, I considered my options. I’d originally intended to deal with Adrian after the Light Temple situation was resolved. But apparently, this idiot couldn’t even behave himself at the funeral of the woman he’d supposedly intended to marry. And now he’d decided to slander me as well.

I’d been looking for an excuse. He’d just handed me several.

[Void Shift]

I reappeared near the cemetery’s outer trees, where the grass grew thick beneath the shade. Far enough from the mourners, Adrian and, most importantly, somewhere I could conduct a small experiment without attracting attention.

My gaze swept across the nearby branches. Then I spotted it. A hornet. It hovered around a patch of wildflowers, its yellow-black body gleaming beneath the sunlight.

I raised my hand.

[Voidwind Manipulation]

A tiny current of wind wrapped around the insect, trapping it inside a transparent sphere of compressed air. The hornet struggled. Its wings beat furiously as it tried to escape, but the wind held it suspended above my palm.

I studied it. "Let’s see how this works."

[Arcana Injection]

A thin stream of Forbidden Energy flowed from my fingertip into the trapped hornet. Its body twitched violently. Dark violet veins spread across its abdomen, while the yellow markings along its body gradually deepened into a sinister crimson. Its wings vibrated faster. The stinger lengthened slightly, becoming darker and sharper as the corruption altered its structure.

[Arcana Injection Successful]

[Target: Coastal Hornet]

[Corruption Status: Complete]

[Classification: Corrupted Insect]

[Behavioral Influence: Available]

[Corrupted Mana: Stable]

Unlike the corrupted Gravefang I’d dissected last night, this creature’s corruption was completely integrated into its body. The energy wasn’t merely suspended within its natural mana. It had become part of the insect itself.

I glanced toward Adrian. He was still standing near the tree, looking annoyed that Elena’s cousin had rejected him. I brought the hornet closer. Its crimson eyes glowed faintly. I established a simple behavioral command through the corruption flowing inside its body.

I leaned forward and whispered. "Sting his d*ck."

The hornet immediately flew away.

I watched its movements with considerable interest. The insect darted between the gravestones, avoiding the mourners before approaching Adrian from behind. Its ability to follow commands was surprisingly impressive. Of course, getting inside his trousers presented a rather unusual challenge.

The hornet circled him once. Twice. Then it landed near his waist.

Adrian scratched his hip. The hornet retreated.

I clicked my tongue. ’Come on. You’ve got one job.’

The insect tried again, crawling along the fabric until it found a narrow opening beneath Adrian’s shirt. It disappeared.

Success!

I folded my arms, watching with the enthusiasm of a researcher observing a promising experiment.

Adrian shifted uncomfortably. He scratched his waist. Then his thigh. Apparently, he could feel something moving beneath his clothes. Unfortunately for him, he was too stupid to realize what was happening. He merely adjusted his trousers and continued staring toward Elena’s funeral. Then the hornet reached its destination and fulfilled my command.

"AAAAAAARRRGGGHHHH!" Adrian’s scream tore through the cemetery. Birds exploded from the nearby trees. Several mourners jumped in fright. Even the priest stopped praying.

[Corrupted Hornet: Attack Successful]

[Corrupted Venom Injected]

[Effect: Severe Localized Pain]

[Secondary Effect: Persistent Inflammation]

[Estimated Swelling Duration: 12-18 Months]

[Warning: Corrupted Venom Cannot Be Neutralized by Ordinary Antidotes]

I stared at the notifications. Then slowly raised an eyebrow. I’d expected a painful sting, perhaps a few days of swelling. But apparently, combining ordinary insect venom with Forbidden Energy had produced a rather spectacular side effect.

"AAAAHHH! SOMETHING BIT ME!" Adrian staggered backward, grabbing his trousers. "GET IT OUT! GET IT OUT!" He began hopping around the tree like a deranged rabbit.

I pressed my lips together. ’Don’t laugh. This is a funeral. Show some respect.’

"IT’S IN MY PANTS!"

Well, shit. That made things considerably harder.

Adrian frantically slapped his trousers, twisting and jumping while trying to dislodge the insect. Then he delivered a particularly violent smack between his legs.

The hornet’s mana signature vanished.

[Corrupted Hornet Eliminated]

[Venom Effect Remains Active]

Rest in peace, little soldier. Your sacrifice would not be forgotten.

Adrian froze. For one second, he stood perfectly still. Then his knees buckled. "MY BALLS!" He collapsed onto the grass.

Several townspeople hurried toward him.

"What happened?"

"Is he injured?"

"Someone call a healer!"

"A hornet!" Adrian shrieked. "A FUCKING HORNET!"

One man stared at his trousers. "Where did it sting you?"

Adrian’s face turned crimson. "WHERE DO YOU THINK?!"

I finally turned away, covering my mouth with one hand. My shoulders trembled. ’Damn it. I can’t... I really can’t...’

Still, my amusement faded when I looked toward Elena’s grave. The commotion had disturbed almost everyone. Even the priest had stopped speaking. But Theo hadn’t moved. He remained beside the coffin, his empty eyes fixed on the white flowers. He didn’t seem to notice anything happening around him.

My smile slowly disappeared. I looked at Theo for another moment. Then I quietly lowered my hand.

"Rest well, Elena," I murmured.

As for Adrian? Well... I hoped he enjoyed his next eighteen months.