Chapter 95: Seed of doubt taking root

Chapter 95: Seed of doubt taking root "W-who are you? Leave now or I’ll report you to the Veil Order!" the woman threatened, raising her voice to hide her fear. But the men burst into loud, wild laughter—if the Veil Order was still active, would they have dared to come here? "Okay, report... you’re free to go. I’m not stopping you," Viper said as he released her chin, his eyes gleaming with hatred as he watched hope light up in her eyes. The two women watched as she got up and moved toward the door. They tried to follow, but a swift kick slammed them back into their chairs. They hit the chairs hard, gasping in pain as tears welled up in their eyes. The woman didn’t look back. Her life mattered more than her sister’s now. She promised to seek revenge for them—their sacrifice wouldn’t be in vain. But just as she reached for the door handle, a shot rang out. She collapsed, screaming, clutching her leg as blood pooled beneath her. "Argghh!" she cried, curling up as her hands trembled. "Ahhhh! Help!" the other women screamed in terror, their voices shaking with panic as they watched her bleed. "Are you that brainless? You actually believed I’d let you go, huh?" Viper muttered as he crouched beside her. He wiped her face sideways with his gun, snapping her head roughly to the side. "P-Please... let me go," she sobbed, tears streaming down her cheeks, her nose bloodied and broken. "Haha! The almighty Miss is begging a dirty beggar?" Viper sneered, quoting her past words with a bitter laugh. Her dazed eyes told him she still hadn’t recognized him. "Maybe this will jog your memory." He reached for her bleeding leg, and she stumbled backward, fear and pain twisting her expression. But it was pointless. Viper pressed down hard on her wound, sending pain shooting through her body. Then flames burst from his hand, searing into her flesh with a sharp sizzle. "Aggrhh! Make it stop!" she screamed, thrashing, her tears and snot soaking her clothes. The others watched Viper’s cruel torturewith a slight wince, cold sweat on their foreheads from her tortured cries. The two women clung to each other, crying softly, praying this man would forget about them. He only stopped when she hovered at the edge of unconsciousness, her skin blackened and charred. "Now, do you remember?" Viper slapped her awake and forced her to look at him. Her eyes slowly widened as memories rushed back. "It’s you!" she gasped in horror, regret flooding her chest. Why isn’t he dead... like his siblings? Crack! A bolt of pain knocked her out of her daze. She had no voice left to scream, only soft moans as her right arm hung limply from her shoulder. "Tsk. Still no remorse. Just regret," Viper said, his voice thick with rage. "Because of you, I lost my family. And why? Because your date glanced at her sister?" His voice cracked, eyes reddening with unshed tears. The image of his younger brother’s body, beaten in an alley, flashed before him—he’d died trying to protect their sister. And while his sister was still breathing, she was r*ped by her guards. He had begged this woman, crawling on his knees—and she had laughed, mocking him. "Now, I’ll give you back double the pain." He gripped her chin tightly and leaned closer. "Don’t worry. You’ll live long enough to enjoy it." Her eyes widened in terror. She tried to break free, her gaze flicking toward the sharp edge of the chair. "Boys! Handle her with care. Feed her potions, keep her alive. Don’t let her kill herself," Viper ordered, a cruel smile playing on his lips as he yanked her by the hair and flung her toward the men—who cheered with lustful grins. "Please don’t do this! I’ll give you money!" she screamed as they closed in, their leering smiles making her blood run cold. Her body trembled as she tried to crawl away, dragging her burnt leg behind her. But someone kicked her from behind, slamming her head into the ground. "I’m sorry... please let me go..." she sobbed, her face a mess of tears and snot. Only now did she truly understand the fear and pain Viper’s sister must have felt. But it was too late. Viper didn’t want mercy—he wanted her to drown in agony and shame. He couldn’t stay. Her tortured wails overlapped with his sister’s, each sound a knife to the chest as he walked away. ’’"Bang!" His fist crashed into the wall, desperate to drown out the memories. Pain lanced through his knuckles, blood trailing down his hand—yet it did nothing to quiet the storm inside. ’"F*ck!" he snarled, the veins in his throat bulging as if he were battling something deep within—and losing. He ripped the gun from his pocket and stormed back into the living room, each step heavy with rage. The men had already begun tearing off her clothes—then a gunshot rang out. Silence followed as a hole tore through the woman’s skull. Some of the men cursed under their breath, disappointed. But the ones who had known Viper longest weren’t surprised. R*ping women had always been his bottom line. They’d been shocked when he’d thrown the woman toward them—thought maybe he’d changed. But one shot proved them wrong. Without a word or glance, he shot the women in the head. The urge to torture had left him—he no longer had the stomach for it. "Get the liquor and the food. We’re leaving," he said coldly, dragging a bottle of wine on his way out. "Acting all righteous, but he’s just like us," one of the men muttered, sneering at Viper’s back. He was bitter—tired of holding back whenever Viper was around. None of them could let loose, not with him watching. Only Monkey got away with it. Some of the men stayed silent, but their sour expressions betrayed their frustration. None dared challenge Viper—not after the last group was burned alive. Dungeon raiders weren’t like ordinary men, and they all knew it. They followed orders quickly, looting the mansion of valuables—potions, gold, weapons, food—anything useful. Monkey joined them last, looking smug and satisfied. The others threw him frustrated, envious looks as they exited. The once-grand mansion now stood hollow and broken. By the next day, the surrounding mansions learned of their demise. Fear and distrust bloomed like seeds—no one trusted their guards or servants anymore. Yet they couldn’t send them away, afraid it would spark resentment or revenge. But things were bound to spiral out of control. Greed and envy are part of human nature—impossible to control. Some servants turned on their masters, while some masters killed their slaves out of fear of what might—or might not—happen. Time revealed the tragedy that unfolded over the following week. The estate was never the same. The wealthy were forced to hide their riches just to survive—only the dungeon raiders, rich and feared, remained untouched. No one dared rob them—the bodies mounted at their doorstep warned off anyone who tried. All of that lay in the future. For now, it was only a seed of doubt taking root.