Royal Capital, South District.

Deep in the dim and damp alleyways.

Rotten Rat Bar.

This bar is precisely Luca's stronghold.

Yet with Luca's death, it began to truly rot, just like its name.

Luca's rise was so rapid and unstoppable, bringing Uttahan along, shining like a sun.

But with Luca's sudden death, the sun set abruptly.

That day, after Vasini publicly killed Luca, he led his men to storm Uttahan's stronghold that very night.

Many were killed again.

Without Luca, their spiritual leader, Uttahan crumbled at the first blow, devoid of any previous combat power.

The situation in the South District changed overnight.

Many Mafia Clan families who had originally switched sides now felt uneasy, contemplating a return to Vasini's fold, while pondering whether there might be a turnaround.

Indeed, there was a turnaround.

Right here in this rotting bar.

Originally, Luca's subordinates didn't like this place much, finding it overly damp with an indescribable aura—only two people took turns as bartenders to guard it.

Now with Luca's death, not a single person remained.

At this midnight hour, a silhouette swiftly darted into the bar.

Clearly, this person found the bar's aura hard to bear.

He pinched his nose, trudging towards the bar counter.

Using a lighter, he lit an oil lamp, finally illuminating a corner and revealing his face.

This man had a distinctly hooked nose, appearing rather gloomy.

If Joseph were here, he'd surely recognize this man.

This person was his competitor, Tefula, a confidant of the Director of Sector Three.

Tefula fiddled behind the bar with unknown motions.

In the next moment, a secret door opened behind the bar, leading underground.

Tefula glanced at the seemingly unfathomable pit, hesitating slightly but ultimately jumped in.

Below, it was like a massive tomb: dark, oppressive, seemingly sealed for a thousand years.

Yet as Tefula's lantern cast forward, it revealed a scene starkly different from the tomb-like surroundings.

In the depths of the tomb, blossomed a cluster of radiant flowers.

Vines sprawled all around, with drops of water appearing to fall from the petals.

The contrast was somewhat eerie.

Tefula seemed to find it unsettling too, hesitated for a moment, but proceeded forward.

He took a silver bottle from his pocket, opened it, and poured some unknown silver liquid onto the flower cluster.

The next moment.

The flowers began to shake violently, then, in the shortest time, the blossoms wilted, vines withered.

Then, after about a minute, a hand suddenly broke out from the soil.

The hand was extremely dry and shriveled, resembling a thousand-year-old corpse dug up from an ancient tomb.

Accompanied by this hand was a long, drawn-out sigh.

"Why disturb my slumber?"

After uttering this, a head also emerged from the soil, equally shriveled and disfigured, completely unrecognizable.

However, its eyes, crimson as arrows, shot directly toward Tefula.

Tefula stepped back in fright.

"Luca is dead."

Tefula took a deep breath and said.

"How did he die?"

The shriveled corpse let out a piercing screech, then completely stood up from the soil.

"Killed by someone, Vasini of the Martinos Clan."

Tefula found it hard to endure the stench rising as the corpse stood but didn't dare pinch his nose, fearing this corpse might vent its anger on him.

"Impossible, absolutely impossible. I know Vasini, a Level 3 fellow, how could he kill Luca?! Something must have gone wrong! It must have! Tell me, hurry and tell me!"

Its roar shook the entire space, the soil began to churn and crumble.

Tefula retreated several steps in fright.

Yet soon, the corpse calmed down.

Becoming extraordinarily calm, like a block of ice.

The entire space, the ground too, quieted down.

"I see."

It suddenly said softly.

"I will take over everything next, I'll handle it. You help me find some blood offerings, being interrupted from my slumber I need sufficient replenishment or my abilities will be greatly affected."

"Alright... Kaster... sir."

Tefula didn't relax because the corpse became calm, instead, he was more cautious.

For he's very aware of the dread this corpse holds.

Establishing cooperation with it back then required sacrificing many people to achieve.

It's a completely uncontrollable entity, utterly playing with fire.

But now, he can only rely on this blaze.

————————

Nightfall.

Ethan had already donned an impeccable black suit, riding the white Klaus Long Spear, arrived at Princess Aine Beize's banquet venue.

It's a palace.

According to the information Ethan investigated beforehand, this palace used to be summer retreat for previous generations of Kings, as it lies in the West District, just beneath the long Bis Mountain Range.

Later, with the Kingdom's grand development, the royal summer retreats found other places, leaving this palace semi-abandoned.

Until Aine Beize was born, out of affection for this Princess, Lucian II renovated the palace and bestowed it upon her.

Now it's midsummer again, even if the Royal Capital originally enjoys stable, pleasant weather due to some special reasons, the past couple of years have seen urban development, with dense population, crowded buildings, traffic congestion, inevitably warming up the city.

So, this palace truly is a good retreat.

Upon reaching the palace, the cool aura has already spread out.

Ethan stepped off the car, walked only a few steps, already encountered acquaintances.

It was Pupol, and Andy.

"Ethan, you've been a hotshot these days, the journalists must be getting weak-kneed around you, huh?"

Pupol started teasing right away.

"Oh, don't mention it, I've been hiding at home sleeping these days, journalists are terrifying."

"When's the auction? I'm waiting too, that 'Spring Fairy', it's on my wish list."

Sure enough, that toilet is up for auction as well, and it's a top item.

Ethan smiled and said, you'd better get your money ready.

Amidst chatter, the group headed into the palace.

And in the unseen shadows, a pair of eyes silently observed everything, especially... Ethan.

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