Chapter 12: Unveiled Truths

In shadows deep where demons creep, A crimson hunter stalks his prey, A dance of death, his secrets keep, In blood and darkness, night and day.

The moon's pale kiss, his ally's hush, A whisper on the wings of death, A predator's grace, a deadly rush, He draws a crimson, silent breath.

Hunter, heed these words of dread, Know your enemy, or your fate, For in the night, where shadows spread, A hunter becomes what he hates.

Innocence lost, a crimson stain, Beware the beast that's never tamed, In blood and agony, he'll reign, The predator, Lucious Valentine, forever named..... 

 _________

Regurd was sweating profusely standing outside, "What's taking them so much time just to-" But a steady knock from the other side made his heart jump "H-Hie!"

From the inside, he could hear the sound of one of his companions, "The work is done... Open the door..." The voice sounded somewhat devoid of emotions. But after hearing that the work was now complete, Regurd's heart raced as he hastily opened the door "What took you so long-" Regurd tried to voice his complaints but the sudden silence that met him was unnerving. His eyes widened in alarm as he took in the sight of the men he had sent in earlier. His once-confident expression was now replaced with one of terror.

"W-What happened in here?" Regurd demanded, but the man seemed unable to speak. He merely shuddered, his eyes vacant. Regurd could see the signs of deep trauma etched into the man's face. Something had gone terribly wrong.

"Y-Your hand...? and ev-everyone... are.. " Regurd started panicking after seeing the condition of the man. Then his gaze fell on the two bodies... one was lying on the ground lifelessly and the other..?..... Decapitated...!!! "Ahh! Haeii!!! W-what..? What happened..?" 

"Regurd...."

A voice then emerged from inside the room, clear and composed. It was Lucious, standing Behind the man with his red eyes gleaming like pools of blood.

"Regurd, my friend," Lucious said, his voice calm, "our guest inside had a bit of a shock. You might want to check on him."

"Here, his head is also bleeding... Let me show you... " With a sudden, fluid motion, Lucious raised the machete and, in one brutal strike, ended the man's suffering.

"Aa-!!" The room fell into an eerie silence, broken only by the sound of his victim's last gasps.

Lucious watched the head and tossed it towards Regurd, "Ahh! Y-You..!!" Regurd was at a loss for words. Regurd's heart pounded in his chest.

"Hey... What are you doing?... I gave it to you... so you could check his head.." Lucious spoke trying to maintain his composed expressions, but then, "Puff~ Ahahahah.... T-That was not a good joke... hahaha!" He started laughing while wiping the tears coming from laughing so hard. 

"Y-You M-Monster.." Regurd said trembling as he pissed his pants. 

"Oh..? Now am I..?'' Lucious stopped laughing and suddenly looked at Regurd. Seeing Lucious's sharp gase Regurd walked back somesteps. 

Regurd with a panicked expression threw the man's head towards Lucious and began running for a last attempt towards saving his life. 

He knew he had no chance of surviving, he recalled the feeling of fear he had since he met Lucious for the first time but his greed had made him blind. He thought if somehow he could get out of this alive, he would donate all his wealth and become a slave of the church to atone for his sins, now he just had to run for his life..... but-

As he scrambled toward the door, his feet tangled in his panic. He managed to take a few hurried steps before his own fear caused him to stumble.

"Ha!" *Thud* His legs gave way beneath him, and he fell to the floor with a heavy thud.

Lucious watched him with a dark amusement, his red eyes gleaming as he advanced slowly, unhurried.

Regurd struggled to regain his composure, but the presence of the man who had just emerged from Lucious's room was enough to render him helpless.

"Regurd, Regurd, Regurd..." Lucious whispered, his voice dripping with malice, "You can't escape the truth any longer. It's time you learn a lesson.... about hunting... and being hunted."

"AAAAAA!!!"

***

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*

In the eerie aftermath of the night's gruesome events, Lucious sat at the wooden dining table, his demeanor calm and composed. He sipped his tea leisurely, as though nothing out of the ordinary had occurred. His eyes held a hint of satisfaction, while a sinister smile played at the corners of his lips.

"Hmm~ fuu It's good.." Lucious commented.

"P-Please, please..."

On the opposite side of the table, Megan sat with her youngest daughter, both trembling in fear. 

The mother's once welcoming eyes were now filled with tears and a profound sense of dread. "M-Mom.. wooo.. wooo.." Her daughter clung to her, her innocent face distorted by the terror that had unfolded as she cried nonstop.

"Stop..." Lucious said as he took another sip, "You crying... It's irritating" Lucious continued but he did not look a single bit irritated rather, he looked like he was enjoying....

"Um.."

"..."

*Sip*

Like a god had stated an amendment, the girl suddenly stopped herself out of fear. They were all seated with a cup filled with tea in front of everyone and a head dripping with blood on the table... Naturally, it belonged to Regurd, his eyes bulging like they would come out from the sockets at any given moment, his face showed a fear-striking expression filled with torment and agony. At a single glance, one could guess that he was tortured and then killed without any mercy.

Silence hung heavy in the air, broken only by the sound of Lucious's quiet sips from the tea. The room felt like a prison, the walls closing in on the two helpless figures, their fate now irrevocably entwined with the enigmatic man who had turned their lives into a living nightmare.

"Ahh~ Man, I really can't get enough of this.." Lucious took another sip of tea, letting its warmth seep through him.

"Now then..." His red eyes bore into Megan and her daughter, his gaze unwavering.

"Y-Yes..."

"..."

After a moment of silence, he calmly broke it with a question, his voice tinged with curiosity.

"Why did you plot to kill me?" Lucious inquired. "Did you truly believe you could succeed? What gave you the confidence to entertain such a psychotically misguided notion?" Lucious, fully aware of the answers. He had already inquired scar check and knew that Megan was against doing that while her daughter had no clue what their parents did. But being the man he was, he wanted to play with them....

The room seemed to grow even quieter as the question hung in the air, an unspoken accusation that left the mother and her daughter visibly shaken, their guilt and fear intermingling.

Tears welled up in Megan's eyes as she stammered through her explanation, her fear palpable. She clasped her hands together as if begging for mercy.

"I-I never w-wanted to be a part of this," she pleaded, her voice quivering. "I opposed my husband's dark deeds, but I could never betray him or stop him... o-out of fear".

"H-He forced me to attend t-that meeting, to gather information about you when we had talked. Regurd always used me as a honey trap to lure adventurers and make them lower their guard. Every time I protested, he silenced me, and I couldn't do anything."

Her confession carried with it a heavy burden of guilt, her eyes reflecting the remorse she felt for her unwilling complicity in the nefarious plans.

Lucious being the sceptical man he was, made sure that she was telling the truth by compelling her.

"Well, well... even if you were forced to partake doesn't mean you are innocent.." Lucious spoke, "I think I have to punish you thoroughly....."

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So, how was the chapter.... in the M.I.L.F chapter, you guys thought that Lucious would hypnotize her and then probably c*ck the poor village head right..?

How is the development so far..? Was I able to win a power stone or two...?