Chapter 11: Predator

Lucious was already awake as his survival instincts made him snap out of his 20 to 30-minute nap. He had already heard the footsteps closing towards his doors. 'Heh, some fuckers want to get a piece of me...?' With a devilish grin, Lucious quickly laid on the bed and closed his eyes 'Well, if you wanna play that game, I shall teach you how to properly play it.' He chuckled.

*Step**step**halt*

Lucious, with his senses heightened, had anticipated the approaching footsteps. As the door to his room inched open, he continued to feign slumber, his lips curling into a devilish grin. 

*creak~*

The trio of men, unaware of the predator within their grasp, stealthily entered the room. 'Hehe... let's see if you can maintain your nonchalance now...' Regurd, positioned outside, secured the trap by tightly binding the door's knob to a hook mounted on the wall, ensuring that escape was impossible for the unsuspecting prey.

Within the dimly lit room, the three men slowly and quietly encircled Lucious's bed, their machetes gleaming ominously in the faint light. The leader of the trio, the one with a scar on his left cheek, leaned in cautiously, his gaze fixed on Lucious's still form. He believed their target to be helpless, unaware that he was dealing with a much more formidable opponent.

Lucious, keeping up his facade, lay on the bed, his chest rising and falling gently as though in deep slumber. His crimson eyes remained concealed beneath his eyelids, giving no indication of his awareness.

They had some sort of candle-like artifact with them, which they had obviously looted from their previous prey. "Hey, place the silencer at the table..." one of the men ordered the other in a hushed voice.

Lucious could sense the precise moment when the three men lunged at him. ".... Had prepared enough? I am getting bored here..." His eyes snapped open, revealing their eerie crimson glow. In the blink of an eye, the room was bathed in a crimson hue as he moved with inhuman speed and agility.

*Swoosh*

The man with the scar on his left cheek swung his machete, but Lucious effortlessly evaded the attack, letting the blade whoosh through the air where he had been a mere moment ago.

"Ah... That's a great swing...." In response, he seized the hunter's wrist, his grip like a vice, and twisted it with unnatural strength. "Too bad you.... will not be able to swing... from this hand anymore.." *Snap*

"Ahhhh!.." There was an audible snap as bone fractured, and the man howled in pain.

The one with the scar on his forehead, realizing the other's strike had missed, recoiled in shock. "Hey! pay attention" Lucious said and before he could regain his composure, Lucious was upon him, a blur of silver and red. "Grr.." His teeth elongated into deadly fangs, and he sank them into the man's throat, tearing through flesh and arteries with chilling precision.

*Phuss..* "Uggg ahhhhh!..." Blood sprayed across the room as the man gurgled in agony, his life swiftly draining away.

"And you...." The third hunter, scarred on the left shoulder, had no time to react.

"Aren't you gonna save your comrade...?" Lucious's hand moved like lightning, snatching the man's machete from his grip. With a swift, calculated strike, 

*Swoosh* *Thud* Lucious decapitated him, sending his head rolling across the floor. Blood pumped from the severed neck, painting gruesome patterns on the wooden walls.

"Hey! scar cheeks..." Lucious said while wiping his face which was full of blood "That's how you truly swing a blade..."

The room became a nightmarish scene of carnage.

Two lifeless bodies lay on the floor, their blood pooling around them. The man with the fractured wrist writhed in agony, clutching his ruined hand as crimson rivers flowed from his wounds.

Lucious, dark veins bulging near his eyes, stood in the center of the room, his silvery hair glistening like moonlight. His fangs retracted as he glanced at the man with the broken wrist, who was now trembling with fear.

"Wh-who are you?" the injured man stammered.

Lucious's voice, cold and filled with a predatory edge, sent a shiver down the man's spine. "Why?.... Why should I entertain the curiosity of a dying man...?"

Lucious wiped a trickle of blood from his lips, his red eyes glinting with a sinister charm. "Now," he began, his voice dripping with a predatory allure, "I believe it's time for you to explain why you and your companions were so keen on my demise."

The hunter with the scar hesitated for a moment, fear and uncertainty warring in his eyes. Finally, he stammered, "W-we... we thought you were an easy target. A noble wandering alone at night, far from the safety of the kingdom."

Lucious' lips curled into a knowing smile. "You underestimated me, but that's not surprising," he purred, stepping closer to the trembling man. "Now, tell me about Regurd. Is he a part of your plan as well?"

The scarred man swallowed hard, his voice shaky. "He didn't know what we were planning. He's... he's just a village head, not involved in our activities."

Lucious chuckled softly, his fingers tracing a trail of blood on the wall. "How convenient for you, isn't it?" He circled the man like a vulture closing in on its prey. "But you see, I'm not so easily fooled. I have my ways of discerning the truth."

With that, Lucious leaned in closer, his red eyes boring into the hunter's soul. "Here's what's going to happen. You'll tell me everything I want to know, and in return, you might get to keep your life. Deal?"

The hunter with the scar nodded fervently, terror in his eyes. "I'll tell you everything, I swear! Just don't kill me."

Lucious continued, "Well if you tell me about who sent you here and who is the man standing in front of the door... I 'might' think of freeing you..."

"P-Please, oh G-Great lord... P-Please spare me.. I-It was all the.. was the... the was it... plan.. I.. me innocent.. yes! I innocent.... "

"Mumble once more and you are dead"

"S-Sorry...It "

Lucious crouched, looking straight into the trembling man's eyes "Now now, Just take a deep breath... ok? You tell me everything you know and I might consider freeing you... no need to panic.. K'?" Lucious's genuine voice put the man in somewhat ease.

The man's breathing became normal and his eyes became a little.... blurry...?

As if possessed the man told Lucious about the village and all the dark deeds, they had committed till now.

'The fuck..? is he possessed or something' Lucious couldn't help but feel confused by the sudden change in the man's behavior.

"Hey, fuck face... here.. Take this blade and cut your right year.." Lucious ordered him, giving the Machete he held to him.

To Lucious's surprise, the man took the Machete and separated his whole eyer from his right side. 'Hmm.. must be some kind of hypnotism power's effect...' He concluded.

"So, do you not feel any pain..?"

"I feel it... It is hurting... the pain.." The man answered like a robot.

"OK, and what is that candle-like thing?" Lucious asked as he pointed his hand toward the artifact, placed on the table beside the bed.

Blood was coming from the man's ear and hand and his body started trembling slightly, but as if nothing had happened to him, the man took a deep breath and answered "That is a D-rank artifact, the artifact is capable of blocking all the sounds within a room from reaching the outside. We used it so other villagers would not know what had happened here. "

"But why..? You said every villager is aware of all the dirty deeds no..?"

"You came at night, many of them do not know about your presence, so to keep all the money within us-"

"Yes, yes, I get it.."

"Umm... so, you have told me everything... mind telling me. Who is the person standing in front of my room's door?" Lucious asked.

"Regurd is the one standing there"

"Oh..? I thought he was a pussy..?" Lucious amused "Let us play a little longer, shall we?" He said while looking like an excited kid as he whispered something to the man.

*

Regurd on the other hand didn't know what was happening inside the room and why were the three men taking so much time, "Ugh! why those bastards are not done yet?" He couldn't help but let out a sigh....

*knock*knock.....

/To be continued...../

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Hey big bro, Don't forget to throw your power stones at me!

And yeah, add this to your library!!!