Chapter 325 322: Assasination 2

Lorel was indeed meticulous and cautious. The victims he chose for the charnel rite were carefully selected based on four specific criteria: A) they were newcomers to the frontier; B) they hadn’t formed any meaningful connections; C) they lacked powerful backing; and D) they were not strong in themselves and couldn’t put up much of a fight. This approach ensured that their disappearance wouldn’t cause significant ripples. Even if an investigation was launched, it would likely be short-lived and attributed to devil’s work, given the lack of clues.

Despite his careful planning, Lorel couldn’t shake off the fear of getting caught. So, after performing the rite, he faked his death and lived under a false identity outside the frontier. Only after years, when he felt the coast was clear, did he dare to return. But even then, he didn’t rush to the secret basement to claim the Uglyface, fearful of traps. Instead, he disguised himself as a weak bloodline user who was a painter.

Months passed, and as Lorel’s painter identity solidified, he felt secure enough to investigate the Uglyface situation. Discovering that the haunted house was rented, he felt a surge of resentment. At that time, Eliana was the sole occupant. He decided to stalk her, biding his time.

Retrieving the Uglyface was no straightforward task. It required a Binding Ritual, where if one defeats a devil summoned into this world, they gain ownership over it, turning it into a familiar. But this was no easy task. Lorel estimated that he needed at least half a day to complete this complex ritual.

He had no intention of confronting and killing Eliana unless absolutely necessary. She didn’t fit his usual victim profile. Her lover, Val, was a formidable fighter, stronger than Lorel in combat. Eliana was also a priestess affiliated with the Church of Light and had a solid backing. She was well-integrated into the frontier community and connected to the God’s Hand Clinic. The only criterion she met was that she was physically weaker than him. However, killing her would risk exposure and becoming a wanted criminal across the kingdom.

Lorel wanted to commit his crime and escape scot-free, so he refrained from the idea of killing her. He would only take that step if there were no other options.

He meticulously observed her daily routine. Eliana worked as a healer at the clinic every day. Lorel planned to invade the basement early in the morning when she left for work, collect the Uglyface, and leave before she returned.

The plan was set into motion the following day. However, when he arrived at the basement, the Uglyface was gone. Shocked and fearful, he panicked and fled, worried about being caught if he lingered.

After some time, when no one came after him, and he had calmed down, he realized that whoever had dealt with the Uglyface likely didn’t know about his involvement in the charnel rite. This realization brought him a sense of relief, although the undercurrent of fear and uncertainty never fully dissipated.

As Lorel calmed down from the initial shock of the Uglyface’s disappearance, he realized the gravity of the mistake he had made. He had left behind footsteps that could easily be traced back to him. Then, he would easily be doomed. He knew his own limitations. A confrontation with the officials of the northern frontier wasn’t something he could survive!

Thus, he became determined to rectify the situation. He meticulously planned his next steps. He patiently waited for Eliana to leave the house before entering it himself to wipe away any traces of his footsteps.

Once he was confident that all evidence of his presence was erased from the haunted house, he discreetly left and returned to his own abode to wait. There, he monitored the situation closely.

If any news of a break-in surfaced or if an investigation was launched to catch the culprit, he planned to take the first train out of the Northern Frontier. As a volunteer rather than an enlisted member, he had the flexibility to leave whenever he wished. Of course, re-entering the frontier would require him to undergo the Trial of Fire again, a deterrent that kept many from leaving in the first place. However, he wouldn’t hesitate to leave if he had a reason.

What he feared didn’t happen. There was no news about a break-in or an investigation to catch the culprit being launched. So he stayed. Besides, he had another reason for staying in the frontier. The culprit who was behind the disappearance of the Uglyface was most likely still in the frontier. He wanted to find out who it was and enact his revenge.

‘The bastard who had laid waste to several years of my hard work, I will catch and kill him in the most brutal way!’

He had thought before going to sleep with a mind full of bloody and insidious thoughts.

Lorel was now lying on his bed, his eyes closed, seemingly in a peaceful slumber. He harbored a strong belief that nothing could harm him in his sleep.

This confidence stemmed from a particular item placed on the side table next to his bed—a cursed artifact known as the “Watcher’s Warding Disc.”

The artifact was capable of erecting formidable formations that could block and hinder intruders effectively. It had the capacity to create three distinct formations, all of which were currently active within his room. Should anyone dare to barge in, they would inevitably face the wrath of these three formations and likely be reduced to cinders.

What Lorel could not have anticipated was the existence of someone capable of not only seeing through his meticulously laid traps but also overcoming them.

This individual possessed the skills and means to step foot into his carefully guarded nest, undeterred by the Watcher’s Warding Disc.

It was Val!

Before breaking into Lorel’s apartment, he conjured his flames and set ablaze all the formations inside with a thought. The formation was devoured by the black flames in an instant. In that very instant, he put them out.

The flames disappeared as soon as they appeared. Their sudden appearance did cause the room temperature to increase, but because it was winter, the heat wasn’t noticeable.

Lorel didn’t even notice what happened. He continued sleeping peacefully.