Ch 30: The show begins

'Heal me,' he commanded inwardly.

[Deducted 25 hatred points to heal the host]

[Remaining hatred points: 173.3]

[Healing successful]

'Seems like I need to upgrade the auto-heal pretty quickly. The healing process is draining my hatred points too much,' Lucifer mused, a hint of irritation lacing his thoughts.

The auto-heal could manage minor wounds, but MuLa's recent attack was infused with scorching fire energy, forcing him to rely entirely on the system's intervention.

'Whatever, this trip was great; I earned almost 200 hatred points… Sometimes it pays to be ruthless,' he thought, a sardonic grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. 'Now let's go eat something; I'm getting hungry.'

With newfound vigor surging through him, he turned back toward the chaos outside the alley, stepping confidently into the fray. He left the scene behind, ignoring the lifeless body of the guard.

***

"Boss, would you recommend me one of the best hearty meals you got here?" Lucifer asked warmly to the waiter as if he was a different person than before. He then began to sit in one of the vacant seats that lay before his eyes.

With a rich aroma of spices and grilled meats, the atmosphere here was quite thick, which tantalized his senses, and momentarily distracted him from the weight of his earlier events.

Seeing that one of the estimated guests came, the waiter replied warmly "With pleasure, sir! One sec, please,"

"Brother LuMark, prepare the seventh dish for our esteemed guest sitting here."

"Got it"

With that, the waiter moved away as other orders were coming along.

Lucifer leaned his back on the chair—as if he was relaxing. He allowed himself a moment to breathe deeply.

'Well, it was regretful indeed that, instead of that guard, I should have killed that red-headed tomato…. well it's fine, doing that will make more chaos, what if I get pursued until I reach the abbeys? But it would be an interesting dead-end'

He was in one of the best hotels in the north area right now, slipped inside unnoticed as if the chaos of his earlier escapades had never happened.

A shiver of pleasure ran through him as his senses embraced the appealing aromas wafting into his nostrils. His eyes scanned the room, vigilant for any potential pursuers.

Much to his relief, the patrons seemed lost in their own worlds, and he did not feel any immediate threat at that moment, as he was not receiving any hatred points.

Not that he wasn't accumulating hatred points; he was just receiving them—0.1 here and there—since he had accidentally caused some trouble.

He had certainly made quite a mess.

***

"Brother MuLa! Brother MuLa! I have an urgent news!"

Knocking on the door repeatedly, a boy shouted. His voice was laced with panic, which made the chitter-chatter of the room abruptly stop.

MuLa raised an eyebrow, who had been deeply engrossed in a conversation with TuRi and other influential figures about the upcoming Ascendant Tournament and now started to wonder what it was this time.

His expression then shifted from curious to annoying. Despite their wealth, participation in the tournament was crucial—it was a chance to showcase their strength and elevate their family's status, so this discussion was important to them.

"Come in" MuLa then gave permission to enter and hearing this, the boy entered the room.

"Why do you sound so shocked? What happened? Did your girlfriend chase you away, like last time?" MuLa laughed, attempting to lighten the mood.

"…"

'When did this joker become a comedian?'

"Haha, Brother MuLa is always so funny! But seriously, let's hear what he has to say. What if it's genuinely bad news? There have been too many internal disputes lately with the tournament approaching," interjected Samsina, one of MuLa's close friends, her tone shifting to one of concern.

"The thing is…" The boy paused for a moment before speaking again.

"The thing is, the boy you fought with recently—the white-haired one—you remember him, right? He is nowhere to be found…" the boy stammered, his eyes widening with fear, worried that MuLa would be angry upon hearing this.

But instead of anger, MuLa's mouth curled into a smile as he thought that the guard had done his job so well that the boy was now nowhere to be found—disappeared.

"Well, what there needs to be scared then? If he's gone, the guard probably did what he needed to do…Ahem, he must have left this town. Don't waste our time with this nonsense," MuLa said dismissively, waving his hand as if brushing away an annoying fly. The mere mention of that boy stirred a familiar anger within him.

"No, no… you don't understand! We found out that the guard who was supposed to be watching him was killed instead!"

MuLa's patience snapped. He grabbed the boy by the collar, his voice turning icy. "Are you certain? How could the guard die while that brat lives? Didn't I beat him to a pulp? Are you saying I was fooled?"

His anger surged, but he fought to maintain his composure, acutely aware of the curious eyes watching him. He then felt just because of nobody, he couldn't afford to tarnish his reputation.

"Well, whatever. He is just a small fly in this vast world. If I cross paths with him again, he'll wish he hadn't….Now, go do your thing," MuLa said, patting the boy's shoulder dismissively, as if to commend him for his efforts.

"Oh, and what about the earlier incident?" Samsina asked, her curiosity piqued.

"Let's not dwell on that commoner. We might spoil our mood," MuLa replied with a charming smile, attempting to steer the conversation away from uncomfortable topics.

"But Brother MuLa, what if he's part of a hidden organization with evil intentions? What if he's the one wreaking havoc around here?"

MuLa shrugged, a smirk playing on his lips. "Maybe… maybe not. But the chances are high…"

***

"Hey….Hic~ little brother, you look like a newcomer to this town. You need to be careful these days, okay?"

Lucipher was lost in the rich flavors of his meal, savoring each bite like it was some uncommon treasure, when the sound of a voice broke through the moment. Lifting his eyes and focusing in quick succession, he found a slightly drunk but still quite competent middle-aged man standing before him.

This person looked plain, with a field of very normal features and little about him to draw attention, yet there was something about him, a solid sensation, that made Lucifer's focus shift to the man.

'Where the hell he comes from now?'

"Why is that, sir?" Lucifer replied raising his furrow. Though his tone was respectful, there was curiosity He was very much intrigued by the sudden intrusion of man into his solitude.

The drunken drew closer, lowering his voice to preferences of a conspiratorial whisper, sounding as if he were about to tell a secret that only Lucifer should know of. "This town ain't what it seems, my friend… whispers of trouble are always floating around, so do not get caught in this crossfire."

Lucifer raised an eyebrow, a mix of intrigue and caution flickering in his gaze. "What kind of trouble?"

"Let's just say there are factions at play, and not everyone is as friendly as they appear. Keep your wits about you, young man. In this world, the shadows often hide more than just darkness."

With that ominous warning, the man took a swig from his glass and began to wander around through his own world as the liquid sloshed dangerously close to the rim. He seemed to relish the taste, as if it were a balm for the secrets he carried.

Lucifer, left to ponder the implications of his words, resumed his meal, the flavors now tinged with an unexpected sense of foreboding.

"Little brother do not mind his word, he is like this, just randomly picking a person then he starts to blabber nonsense"

Another man, side of him reminded him.

'Well, whatever the mystery, if I'm not dragged into it, I won't give a damn,' Lucifer thought, a smirk playing on his lips as he savored another bite. 'Whatever's going to happen… will happen. The more chaotic the scene, the more hatred points I'll gain'

His contemplation was abruptly shattered by a piercing scream that sliced through the restaurant's ambiance. "FUCK! FUCK! This won't do!"

Lucifer's attention snapped by the source of the commotion. Then he turned his head to see what was going on. A girl, her face twisted in anguish, while her voice raw with desperation.

He then began to look into her eyes, but a chill ran down his spine. Her eyes weren't regular ones, they were completely black, like a void that seemed to swallow the light around them, and her veins pulsed with a crimson hue, resembling electric wires sparking with energy. It was as if she were caught in the throes of a powerful high, teetering on the edge of sanity.

Lucifer watched, a mix of fascination and concern brewing within him, as the girl began to throw a tantrum. Her movements were wild and erratic. She was overturning every table, sending plates and glasses crashing to the floor. Seeing this other was not idle, patrons and workers of this hotel, scrambled to calm her down, their voices rising in a cacophony of confusion and fear.

'Did her lover leave her after a night of passion? Might be… ahem, Is that why she's so furious? Or did her boyfriend cheat on her?' Lucifer mused.

It was like a storm, and Lucifer was both witness and part of the play unfolding before his eyes. The girl's anger hung in the air, a tempest to engulf all others around her. He could feel the tension in the air, thick and electric, as the patrons' expressions shifted from shock to concern, their eyes darting between the girl and each other, unsure of how to intervene.

"Someone's got to help her!" someone yelled out, but it was quickly muffled out by the girl frantically crying.

Lucifer leaned back in his chair, a bemused smile tugging on his lips. This was the kind of chaos he reveled in, the kind that stirred the pot and unexpected turn of events.

'Well, where can we see something like this regularly?'