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Lyerin\'s expression remained calm, his face a mask of stoic indifference, but inside, a brief flicker of unease crept into his chest.

Lord Victor\'s presence here was unexpected, to say the least, and unsettling in its implications.

Yet, Lyerin showed no outward sign of discomfort, his eyes instead moving towards the four assassins—Lucius, Aria, Kira, and Varus—who were now bound in place by the gnarly roots of an ancient, monstrous tree.

The roots wrapped around their limbs like thick coils of living rope, suspending them in midair, their bodies pinned against the ghostly branches of the enormous Torture Ghost Tree.

Their eyes were distant, glazed over, as though they were staring into nothingness, completely unaware of their surroundings.

Each of them had roots extending from the tree into their mouths, gagging them, while another thick, grotesque root wormed its way into the side of their skulls, burrowing through their ears and pulsating with an ominous, viscous liquid.

The tree itself was a macabre sight—its bark pale and translucent like ghostly skin, with faces etched into the surface that twisted and morphed in agony. The branches swayed in a breeze that did not exist, carrying a sinister energy, as though the tree fed on the pain and fear of its victims.

Lord Victor chuckled lightly, the sound dark and knowing as he observed Lyerin\'s calm exterior. "Ah, the Torture Ghost Tree," he mused, his voice soft yet carrying the weight of authority and experience. "A magnificent creature, is it not?"

Lyerin remained silent, watching Lord Victor as the elder assassin continued, his tone turning almost conversational. "This tree is said to be one of the most feared weapons in this ruined magical world, a torture method unlike any other. Its roots burrow deep into the minds of its victims, trapping them in an endless illusion of pain.

They experience agonizing torment, not only physical but mental as well—flesh searing, bones breaking, minds unraveling—all in the span of mere seconds. Yet, to the victims, it feels like an eternity. Time becomes irrelevant to them, lost in a cycle of eternal suffering until the tree consumes them entirely, their very essence devoured."

Lord Victor would point his mouth at the four and say, "I\'m sure these four are experiencing hallucinations now. Probably, they are fighting you in the Ghost Tree illusion."

His voice carried an almost reverent tone as he continued explaining the legend of the Torture Ghost Tree, weaving a story that was equal parts terrifying and awe-inspiring. "It\'s incredibly rare, this tree. Summoning one alone requires immense skill. Controlling one… well, that is something few have ever achieved. Many have tried to study its effects—many like me.

For years, I sought to understand this creature, to unlock its secrets. But no matter how many experiments we performed, we could never get it to fully materialize. Our theories, research, everything pointed to the conclusion that it could not exist within the bounds of common magic."

He sighed with the weight of old frustrations, shaking his head slightly. "We never considered the possibility that the key to this tree\'s awakening was the blood of the botanical creatures within this dungeon. We thought the Torture Ghost Tree could only thrive outside the dungeons, and so we never connected the idea that dungeon creatures could hold the answer.

It took you, Lyerin, to figure out the missing piece. You blended the blood of the dungeon\'s botanical creatures perfectly, and in doing so, awakened the Torture Ghost Tree like no one before."

Lord Victor leaned back slightly, a smile tugging at his lips. "I must say, Lyerin, you\'ve opened my eyes. I should have seen it sooner. It was brilliant work."

Lyerin dipped his head slightly in acknowledgment, his sharp eyes never leaving Lord Victor\'s form. He could feel the weight of Victor\'s words as they laced with curiosity and praise, yet behind them lay an underlying question, one that Lyerin knew was waiting to surface.

Lord Victor continued, his voice dropping into a more serious tone. "Ever since we met, I\'ve felt something strange about you. Even as a Lord Class assassin, I felt as though you were using me—using the family. Not out of malice, but with some hidden agenda, something that wasn\'t immediately obvious." He paused, eyes narrowing slightly as he studied Lyerin\'s reaction.

"And so, I began to investigate," Lord Victor revealed with a casual tone, though the implication was anything but casual. "You are, after all, just another member of the Borgias family. Born of a side mistress, overlooked compared to your more \'talented\' brothers." He waved his hand dismissively. "Nothing particularly remarkable about you at first glance.

A lower-tier member with modest ambitions… or so it seemed."

A slight smirk crossed Lord Victor\'s lips. "But I noticed something odd. You were purchasing various materials in bulk, using my name and coin to acquire them. Most of them were items so common and unsuspicious that they wouldn\'t raise any alarms—unless, of course, one took a closer look. I did."

Lord Victor\'s eyes gleamed as he leaned forward slightly. "It turns out you\'ve been far more cunning than anyone gave you credit for, Lyerin. I followed your trail, tracing your actions back to this very dungeon. And that\'s when I realized what you were planning."

Lyerin remained composed, though inside he was rapidly recalculating his options. He had known Lord Victor was perceptive, but he hadn\'t anticipated that the elder assassin would take such a personal interest in him.

"The coin I gave your was only used for the dungeon openings," Lord Victor said, his voice filled with admiration, "but you changed the magic particles surrounding it to match my own. You knew that by manipulating the magic particle, you could access anything within the Rose Kingdom—anything the Borgias family kept hidden. You knew the risks, and you proceeded anyway.

It was a gamble, but it was brilliant."

Lord Victor laughed softly. "I\'m not sure whether I should be offended or impressed. Have you known me for years, haven\'t you? I don\'t remember showing up to anyone ages ago, but I felt like you\'ve studied me, learned from me, all without my noticing. You\'ve gone unnoticed for so long because you\'ve never overstepped—until now."

The older assassin\'s gaze sharpened, his eyes locking onto Lyerin\'s with intensity. "Tell me, was all of this for your mother? Did you choose this dungeon because you knew where the competition for the younger generation would take place? Did you plan to eliminate your rivals and use the Torture Ghost Tree to extract their shadow cores, to gain entry into the family\'s inner circle?

Was that your goal all along?"

Lord Victor\'s voice was filled with both curiosity and a dark admiration. "The reason we\'ve been so interested in this tree, Lyerin, is because someone once infiltrated the Borgias family using it. They killed one of our members, took their shadow core, and used it to blend in as a spy. We\'ve been obsessed with studying this creature ever since, trying to prevent it from happening again.

But I\'ll admit, when I first began investigating you, I considered the possibility that you were a spy as well."

Lord Victor\'s voice softened slightly. "But now, after seeing your actions here, I realize that your motives are much more… human. You\'re not after power or wealth. You\'re after recognition. I understand, you are shadow core less but you want to be seen, to be accepted by the Borgias family like any other assassin. That\'s your weakness, Lyerin.

You desire acceptance from a family that\'s only ever used you. And yet, that\'s also what makes you dangerous. You embody what it means to be an assassin—cold, calculating, and unrelenting."

Lord Victor\'s eyes gleamed with approval. "I\'m thoroughly impressed by you, Lyerin. You\'ve managed to accomplish something even I couldn\'t. You\'ve shown me just how far you\'re willing to go for recognition. And because of that, I\'m willing to offer you something in return."

He leaned back, his expression softening. "From this point on, you\'ll have unlimited access to the family\'s coin. No more need for deception or altering auras. You\'ve earned it. But—" his eyes darkened, his voice lowering to a dangerous tone, "—there is one condition. You must let the four of them live."

Lyerin\'s brow furrowed slightly as he processed Lord Victor\'s words. "Let them live?" he asked, his voice calm yet tinged with suspicion. "Why?"