The Deceitful One

A shadowy figure ran at inhumane speed as he jumped from one rooftop to the other, across the city of Damascus.

The figure wore a black trench coat, the hems of which fluttered in the wind as he continued to run. He had a head full of grayish-white hair and although he appeared to be old, his face had no lines or wrinkles that one would expect from an aged person.

He was none other than Sean Marx's butler, Alfredo!

Currently, his eyes were bloodshot as he ran across the rooftops. His right hand was slightly raised and positioned right in front of his chest.

Atop his palm, was a round transparent crystal. And within this crystal was a blood-colored thick needle that was pointing him in the direction he was running toward, just like a compass.

This blood belonged to Bryan! Alfredo had picked it up at his house in the suburbs of Damascus where his grandson, Anthony, had died at the hands of Bryan.

Alfredo's face contorted in unprecedented anger as he spat through gritted teeth, "I will fucking eat you alive, boy! Just wait!"

It had taken him a really long time to track Bryan in a city as big as Damascus. Especially, when all he had was only the latter's blood to track him down with.

If it wasn't for him being a Blood Path Transcendent, all of this would not have been possible. He would otherwise have to hire a Transcendent who was good at Divination.

However, he could not do that too, since only the Transcendents of the Wisdom and the Fate Paths were good at divination. And these Transcendents were strictly affiliated with the Church of Wisdom.

The Church had always made sure that no outsiders got their hands on the potion recipes and the meditation techniques of the Wisdom and the Fate Paths!

Furthermore, his master's grand plan was gradually entering the final stages, hence, he had been heavily preoccupied with that.

After having suppressed his thirst for revenge for so long, he was finally able to come out today to try and finish off his grandson's killer once and for all.

Just the thought of torturing his grandson's killer and later eating him got his blood pumping!

After running for almost twenty minutes, the apartment building at 7 Robinson Street finally came into his view.

A maniacal glint gleamed across Alfredo's eyes as he stood at the edge of the rooftop of the building directly across from Bryan's apartment.

He then proceeded to covertly extend his spiritual sense and scan the opposite building. After all, he didn't want to alarm Bryan and give him the chance of escaping.

"Found you!" A few moments later, Alfredo finally located Bryan who was currently having a meal with a cat in an apartment on the ground floor.

He bent his knees as he prepared to jump off the building and take Bryan by surprise. But right as he was about to make the jump, a pale hand grabbed his neck from behind, lifted him in the air, and viciously slammed him on the floor!

Alfredo's face directly smashed the floor as spider web-like cracks began to form from the point of contact and gradually spread across the majority of the roof. His nose had already cracked open as he began to bleed profusely.

'Such strength! I didn't even notice his presence before he attacked me!' Fear crept into Alfredo's heart as he struggled to get free from the person's tight grip on his neck.

He began to wonder in terror if someone was secretly protecting the kid who had killed his grandson. With great difficulty, Alfredo turned around to try and catch a glimpse of the attacker.

However, when he did manage to do so, his eyes went wide in astonishment, "M-Master!! Why!?"

Sean Marx withdrew his hand and stood over Alfredo as he coldly stared at him, "Just what were you planning on doing right now, Alfredo?"

Alfredo got to his knees as he pointed his finger at Bryan's apartment and replied respectfully, "Master, that kid! He's the one the murdered my grandson, Anthony. I must aveng-"

But before he could finish, Sean slapped him right across the face. Alfredo felt as if his head almost separated from his neck! He immediately bowed down at Sean's feet while still kneeling.

If there's one thing he never wished to do in his life, it was to never incur his master's wrath. After all, he had witnessed personally what awaited the people who angered his master.

Alfredo began to wonder in dread just what he had done wrong!

"Fool! Do you even know who that kid is? And how valuable he is?" Sean sneered as he looked down at Alfredo.

"He is the most important chess piece of mine!" Sean continued, "I've spent over a decade planning for this and here you are, trying to ruin everything. Now, tell me how should I punish you?"

Alfredo looked up at Sean wide-eyed. His body began to tremble violently as he thought, 'This kid! He's the one who master has been secretly protecting and raising all these years!?'

He couldn't believe that the person who had murdered his grandson—his only kin—was actually the one who was his master's most important chess piece!

Alfredo cursed in his heart for fate being so cruel to him. His grandson's murderer was right in front of his eyes yet he couldn't do anything about it.

He gritted his teeth and smashed his head against the ground repeatedly as he kowtowed at Sean's feet, "Master, please forgive this foolish servant of yours. I did not know that the kid held such great value. I'm willing to receive any punishment from you!"

Sean stared coldly at Alfredo who continued to smash his head against the ground. Blood dripped down from his forehead without interruption, however, Alfredo still continued on.

A few moments later, Sean spoke unemotionally, "Based on your years of servitude and your loyalty toward me, I shall forgive you this once."

"Thank you, Master! I'm truly grateful." Alfredo breathed a sigh of relief, however, he still bowed down at Sean's feet, not daring to look at him.