Lust Sequence (7000)

Rein pretended to be a hunter returning from a bathroom break and easily infiltrated the ragtag hunting team.

After a little inquiry, it turned out he had guessed correctly.

The leader of the group was Harper Rosas, the current eldest son of the Rosas Family, who was also the cousin of the green-haired youth who led the attack on Rein and his group the night before.

However, that guy's current title is "Prince".

With the founding of City of Radiance, a large number of newly promoted nobles emerged, making it seem like even the most insignificant person could become a prince. Rein felt no nobility whatsoever; only three words came to his mind—nouveau riche.

After listening for a while, he figured it out: the team really was heading to the area with the most pyramids.

According to the hunters in these small Scavenger Gang, the Rosas Family has discovered a very large Underground Palace there and is in dire need of manpower to explore it.

They were recruited to participate in the excavation, receiving a basic salary of three thousand lisoes per day. Moreover, everything unearthed from the ruins would belong to them.

The only requirement is that the treasures they find in the ruins must be sold to the Rosas Family first.

This sounds like a windfall.

Rein suspected something was amiss.

He had just come from there yesterday, and the ruins there were sealed off, prohibiting any hunters other than those loyal to the Lord's Mansion from participating in the excavation.

But now that more than 10,000 people have come, something just doesn't feel right.

The group headed slowly northwest. The hastily formed group was crowded and noisy, resembling a chaotic market.

Guy was locked in an iron cage, his body covered in bloody, gaping wounds, as if he had been tortured.

He sat in the prison van, head drooping, his disheveled hair obscuring his face. He didn't look dead, but his condition wasn't optimistic.

The prison cart was among the royal knights ahead. Rein didn't rush forward, but observed it from a distance first.

After all, he had heard that among Prince Harper's party was a courtier who was a Fourth Tier Red Robe Archmage. Although it was hard to say whether he could defeat that guy in a fight, if he was determined to leave, the other party certainly couldn't stop him.

Rein decided to ask around to find out what was going on, so he wandered around the group.

He never expected that he would run into an old friend from the "Chamois Scavenger Group" by such a coincidence.

This was the small Scavenger Gang he and Canossa had hired as guides when they went to City of Radiance.

It's still called the "Mountain Antelope Squad," but most of the original members are no longer around; only Captain Bart and Sister Pasha are familiar faces.

The rest looked unfamiliar.

Rein had a good impression of them, so he moved closer.

He greeted him directly, "Hey~ Commander Bart, long time no see!"

Bart naturally couldn't recognize Rein's disguised face, especially since he was wearing a gas mask. "You are..."

Rein casually replied, "A few years ago when I went to City of Radiance, the merchant guild that hired me asked you to be their guides, and we even had drinks together. But it's been so long, you've probably forgotten. I'm Nicholas."

"Oh?"

Bart clearly had no recollection of the name, and a look of trying to recall flashed in his eyes.

However, these seasoned hunters, having traveled far and wide, were naturally adept at handling all sorts of situations. He feigned a knowing expression and chuckled, "Brother Nicholas, it's been a long time."

Rein didn't mind and asked, "Huh, why do I only see you and Miss Pasha? Where are Jack, Klein, and Galen?"

"."

Upon hearing this, Bart's expression changed slightly.

Since he could name these old members, he naturally believed that the person in front of him was a true old friend with whom they had interacted, and he immediately lost his guard.

He shrugged, a sad yet habitual bitterness on his face, and said, "They're all dead, killed during a hunt six months ago. Now, I've brought a few new recruits and reorganized the Scavenger Gang."

As he spoke, he picked up the leather armor, revealing a large scar on his abdomen. "Look, I almost died that time too. Luckily, Pasha was there."

Hearing this, Rein wasn't surprised, but he was also somewhat moved. "Oh, I'm sorry."

Nine out of ten Scavenger Gang are reduced to this reason: very few are able to earn enough money to retire and go home.

Bart shook his head, not minding having his scars mentioned.

For hunters, life and death have long been indifferent.

He skipped the topic and grinned, "Brother Nicholas, where have you been making your fortune lately?"

Rein casually recounted a fabricated story. "My group encountered sandworms a couple of days ago, fought a fierce battle, and then got caught in a sandstorm, and everyone got separated. Because I'm a doctor, I had some Antidote Potion with me, which is how I luckily survived."

Because they were old acquaintances, Rein's words did not arouse suspicion, nor did anyone care.

There were quite a few scattered Scavenger Gang that joined along the way, so one more wouldn't make a difference.

"Oh"

When Bart heard that Rein was a doctor, he also became interested in recruiting him.

As a team leader, he had this professional habit, and suggested, "Brother Nicholas, you're alone right now, why don't you join our 'Mountain Antelope Squad' for the time being? That way, you can look out for each other when you enter the ruins."

Doctors never have trouble finding a "team" anywhere.

"OK."

Upon hearing this, Rein readily agreed.

He originally wanted to have an identity that wouldn't arouse suspicion, and this is perfect.

After the two got to know each other better, Rein asked his question, "Hey, Commander Bart, don't you guys think there's something wrong with this excavation mission? Why would such a good thing fall to a small group like ours?"

Bart chuckled and shook his head, saying, "What problems could there be? It's just that there's danger. Those noble lords don't dare risk their lives to investigate, which is why they sent us to test the waters."

Clearly, the hunters were used to this kind of thing.

Back when it was called City of Radiance, everyone was a hunter, and when they encountered ruins, no one was superior or inferior; everyone took matters into their own hands. But the "Five Great Families" have begun to show signs of this privilege.

Now, the kingdom within the city is simply making all of this public.

Those noble lords only needed to plant their flags to declare their occupation, and the ruins belonged to them.

Then they can find some people to explore, so they don't have to take risks themselves, but the treasure will still be theirs.

Although a portion of the wealth would be paid to the hunters as commission and for revenge, the vast majority of it would be converted into various taxes on food, clothing, housing, and transportation, returning to the hands of the nobles.

The Black Tide provided the nobles with the best opportunity to exploit.

The hunters weren't stupid; they all realized that this recruitment operation was bound to be dangerous.

At this point, Bart remained calm and continued, "For those noble lords to make such a fuss, the scale of the ruins must be considerable. After all, these 10,000 people doing nothing would cost tens of millions of lisos in commissions every day."

At this moment, a member of the Mountain Antelope Squad chimed in, "Hey, we hunters' lives are cheap anyway, so what's the difference where we go on an adventure? If a prince from the Rosas Family can come in person, there must be some high-quality ruins. The risks are definitely significant, but as long as we survive, the rewards will be substantial."

Looking again, all the hunters had expressions of nonchalant optimism and expectations of getting rich quick.

For those at the bottom of the game who hunt for wildlife, the prospect of risking their lives for a chance to "get rich overnight" is something many are willing to do.

"."

Hearing this, Rein didn't say anything more.

High-end treasures like "Divine Power Crystal" are so advanced that low-level Transcendent have never even heard of them, let alone used them. Since they're all going to fetch a good price anyway, what difference does it make who they're sold to?

As the conversation went on, Rein brought up Guy again.

He asked curiously, "Commander Bart, who's locked in that iron cage over there? Why did you bring someone like that with you, Hunter of the Wilderness?"

"You still don't know?"

As Bart spoke, a hint of emotion flickered in his eyes. "That was a big shot, a once-great figure in the Xid Empire."

Rein looked intrigued. "Oh?"

Bart said, "That's Guy Verlias, a Sid SSS wanted criminal."

Upon hearing this, the other members of the "Mountain Antelope Squad" also joined in the discussion with great interest.

"That was a big shot from over twenty years ago!"

"I even saw that guy back at the Black Wind Territory gambling den. If I had known that the 'Gambler Guy' who could barely walk was the 'Sword of Sword of Justice' Guy, I would never have let anyone else earn that bounty. Sigh, I missed out on two billion!"

"Absolutely. I heard that when they arrested him, he couldn't even lift a knife and didn't resist at all. Is there any SSS-level wanted criminal easier to catch than this? It's like picking up money off the ground."

"But... I don't think Guy, apart from his gambling addiction, seems like a bad person."

"That's because the villain has grown old! Haven't you heard about his heinous crimes of slaughtering tens of thousands of people in an entire city by himself? Back then, I heard he didn't even spare the babies, and the blood really flowed like a river. In the past few hundred years, I'm afraid there hasn't been such a heartless and insane killer."

"."

People either knew Guy as a "gambler" or as the legendary wanted criminal.

But only Rein heard the story told by Guy himself: the carnage caused by a demonic sword.

However, he didn't say much more.

On second thought, it was to be expected that this guy would be recognized and captured for the bounty.

But now Guy looks like this, can anyone still recognize him?

Looking at Guy, who was covered in wounds, Rein asked in confusion, "But... since he's a wanted criminal, why not just kill him and collect the bounty? Why lock him up and torture him?"

Upon hearing this, a strange light flashed in Bart's eyes, and he whispered, "This... is related to the people who arrested him."

Rein, with a serious expression that seemed to await further explanation, asked, "Oh?"

Bart lowered his voice and said, "The person who recognized Guy was none other than Prince Harper's fiancée, Viscount Yuke's goddaughter, 'Moon Beauty' Maritise!"

Upon hearing this, Rein asked in confusion, "Huh?"

Upon hearing the word "great beauty," he immediately guessed that it might be some kind of romantic entanglement.

In his youth, that guy was known as "the most handsome man in the Number One Under Heaven," and he attracted quite a few women. Many of those relationships turned to hate, and ultimately, he was poisoned by a woman.

However, it was clearly not a debt of love, but a blood feud.

Bart's tone was also somewhat disdainful as he said, "That 'Viscount Yuke' is a famous phantom thief leader in Sid. Because he led tens of thousands of followers to join the Glorious Nation at its founding, he was granted the title of viscount. In no time, he became a nobleman."

He paused, then continued, "It's also because his goddaughter, Maritise, with her stunning beauty, has caught the eye of 'Prince Harper,' and is now showing signs of becoming a highly sought-after noble in the Kingdom of Glory."

Rein then understood.

It turns out that "Viscount Yuke" was one of the nine leaders of the first Phantom Thieves group of Sid, the "Nine-Headed Owl Bandit Group," more than twenty years ago.

Back then, this Phantom Thieves was a top-tier group even larger than Bazel's "White Wolf Bandit Group".

This infamous gang of thieves committed countless atrocities, including rape, robbery, and murder. With over 100,000 members, they wreaked havoc on the region.

At the time, Guy, the "Sword of Justice," was at the height of his fame and was Sid's number one bounty hunter, specializing in hunting down all kinds of top-notch thieves.

Relying on his superior swordsmanship, he set his sights on the "Nine-Headed Owl Bandit Group," specifically targeting lone members of the "Nine Owls."

Then, in less than a year, he killed eight of the nine High-tier Extraordinary.

He would continue to kill whoever became the leader.

In the end, they actually managed to dismantle the "First Phantom Thieves of Sid" by beheading them.

The "Viscount Yuke" is the only surviving leader, while the "Moon Beauty" Maritise is the daughter of a leader of the "Nine-Headed Owl Bandit Group" who was killed in the present day.

There is naturally a deep-seated hatred.

Rein understood.

Bart made no attempt to hide his disdain for the phantom thief's transformation into a nobleman, yet he was powerless to do anything about it.

He slowly recounted some of his observations, then added, "This 'Moon Beauty' Maritise is beautiful, but she's no pushover. After all, she comes from a den of thieves, and I've heard she's a vicious woman."

This Transcendent world is cruel. The more beautiful a woman is, the less capable she is. She will only be a plaything for men, especially in a place like the Phantom Thieves where human nature is inherently evil.

"Does she have any Transcendent abilities?" Rein asked curiously.

Bart frowned. "As for Transcendent abilities, I haven't heard of any record of her fighting anyone. But rumors say she's a mental-based Transcendent who practices seductive arts. Look, that 'Prince Harper' is completely infatuated with her, and they're even discussing marriage."

"."

Rein listened, seemingly lost in thought.

Rein chatted casually with the members of the "Mountain Antelope Squad" and got a general idea of what had happened.

The main force is moving at a slower pace and will probably not reach the ruins area until tomorrow.

As night fell, the team began to build a fire and set up camp.

Apart from encountering a few small-scale zombie horde attacks, everything was normal.

While eating, Rein suddenly heard a series of "bang bang" sounds, like gunshots.

Upon closer listening, it was the sound of a whip.

Ask anyone else, and they'll know if you're tired; it's like an after-dinner entertainment program—"Guy's Whipping."

Only at this time of day would the noble knights not stop the hunters from going to watch, just to humiliate the former number one bounty hunter.

Rein mingled with the crowd and walked over.

A makeshift trial bench was set up in the camp for this purpose, Guy was held motionless on the cross by chains.

The bright red bonfire illuminated the faces of those watching the spectacle.

The executioners were not noble knights, but ordinary hunters.

A guy with his shirt open, revealing a large patch of chest hair, was energetically hawking his wares.

"Come on, anyone can come and fight! One whip, a thousand miles of rope!"

"As soon as you hear the sound, you can immediately collect ten silver coins!"

"Next. Anyone else want to try? Haha, this is a notorious killer with a 2 billion bounty. Don't you want to whip the innocent souls under his blade?"

"Haha, McGonagall, you only got ten lashes out of fifteen, but you still got a free 10,000 li of rope! Next one."

"."

Several whips were soaking in the medicine tank. Every now and then, hunters would come up to the Guy, pick up the whips, and strike Guy hard, leaving a bloody welt.

With one click, you can get ten silver coins.

Everyone was having a great time smoking.

Rein sniffed the potion; it had a corrosive odor, somewhat like sand salt and saffron sap. A soft "hmm" escaped his lips. "Pain Potion?"

He is now quite proficient in pharmacology, so he naturally recognized the medicine.

This is a potion concocted by alchemists for interrogation purposes; it can amplify pain many times over.

The whip was soaked in this medicine; a single touch would cause a burn-like, continuous pain—an excruciating pain that would take even the most normal person's willpower to endure.

However, Guy, who was bound to the cross, remained silent, letting the whip lash his body as if he were completely oblivious.

One lash after another, until the skin was torn open and the flesh was a bloody mess.

Although there is money involved, not everyone has a penchant for tormenting others.

Although the hunters felt Guy deserved to die, only a few actually went up on stage to take action.

However, after only a few dozen people went on stage and he was whipped hundreds or thousands of times, Guy looked like he was on his last legs.

The flogging lasted for nearly an hour.

Guy on the cross was very weak, and blood was flowing all over the ground. He could die at any moment if he took a few more lashes.

After one of the knights relayed the order from above and announced that "today's scenes are over," everyone dispersed.

The hunters around him all went back to their tents to rest, but Rein didn't leave.

He noticed Guy's gaze, hidden behind his blood-stained hair, falling on him.

Although he didn't know how the other person recognized him, they definitely recognized him at that glance.

Rein probably guessed why Guy had to take the beating; the guy was like a self-destructive ascetic, always atoning for his sins by torturing himself.

The burly, hairy-chested man on the stage, seeing that Rein hadn't left, asked, "Hey, you want a couple of lashes too? Too bad, the event's over for today."

Rein shrugged and pointed at Guy on the stage, saying, "Buddy, I'm a doctor. I think you should give me a few silver coins and I'll heal him. Otherwise, he might not make it through the night, and he won't be able to play tomorrow."

Upon hearing this, the hairy-chested burly man laughed heartily, "You've come up with a good money-making idea, haven't you, doctor?"

Rein chuckled awkwardly, offering no comment.

At that moment, his ear twitched slightly, and he realized that someone was walking behind him long before the gold coin landed at his feet.

He didn't move, and at that moment a charming voice came from behind him. "No need to cure him, just make sure he doesn't die."

When Rein turned his head, he saw a woman who looked extremely alluring.

She wore a long black tulle dress, her long, slender white legs peeking out from beneath. Her upper body was even more revealing, a thin sheet of fabric, like a bikini, covering only a small portion of her private parts, exposing her entire beautiful back and slender waist. Her skin glowed like moonlight.

She walked gracefully towards us, exuding an irresistible allure that seemed to ignite a springtime romance within her very being, stirring the heart to a fever pitch.

She's a stunningly beautiful woman who seems glamorous and doesn't look like a good person, yet you can't help but want to rub her into the ground.

At that moment, Rein heard a clear sound from the system.

[Ding! Your mental energy is fluctuating abnormally; you have been affected by the 'Charm Spell']

"Such alluring arts, truly a Transcendent of the mental realm."

This was the first time Rein had encountered such Transcendent abilities.

The seductive technique wasn't intentionally released for him; it was probably a "spiritual aura" that the woman created to enhance her own charm.

Don't let this seemingly unremarkable ability fool you; it's part of the "Law of Lust" within the orthodox "Seventy-Two Divine Generals," one of the Seven Sins!

Upon seeing this woman who suddenly appeared, Rein naturally guessed her identity; she was probably the "Moon Beauty" Maritise.

He acted like a normal man, making no attempt to hide his direct gaze as he roamed over her body, scrutinizing her without any restraint.

The woman seemed quite used to the greedy looks men gave her, not even glancing at Rein. She walked up to Guy and chuckled, "Mr. Guy, this is just the beginning. Don't die too quickly."

After admiring Guy's wounds, she left satisfied.

The hairy-chested man only looked away after the woman entered the tent in the distance.

He looked at Rein, who had picked up the gold coin, and smiled with a flushed face, "Hey, buddy, you're in luck. That's a gold coin Miss Maritise gave you."

"Oh, yes. It even has a pleasant body odor."

Rein picked up the gold coins from the ground, a half-smile on his face.

Upon hearing this, the hairy-chested man became even more agitated, saying, "I fucking can't hold it in anymore. You better treat me properly, I'm going to find a woman to relieve my pent-up frustration."

Once that guy left, there were hardly any people left on the execution platform, except for a few listless-looking guards a few dozen meters away.

Rein walked up to Guy and took out his surgical instruments.

Sure enough, Guy recognized him and said with a smile, "Doctor, we meet again."

Although Rein didn't know how he could laugh with such serious injuries, the guy in front of him was indeed laughing.

His smile was very calm, revealing no signs of pessimism.

"Yes. We meet again."

Rein pursed his lips and said, "But I didn't expect to see you under these circumstances."

As he spoke, he checked Guy's injuries and muttered to himself, "The toxins have been neutralized, but the recovery isn't going well. Your body is in poor condition and needs more nutrition."

Muscle atrophy requires a large amount of energy to recover. But Guy's body is no different from before. But then again, it makes sense; he's a prisoner, it's no wonder he can't eat well.

Upon hearing this, Guy's eyes showed a strange change in emotion. "Thank you, Doctor."

Rein frowned slightly and said, "I gave you the antidote not because I wanted to see you injured like this."

These are all superficial injuries; aside from being painful, they are not difficult to treat.

To avoid alerting others, he used only standard surgical techniques: cleaning and suturing.

He paused, then continued, "I think that even in this state, that Fourth Tier red-robed technique shouldn't be able to keep you here."

Rein heard that the guy had been arrested without even putting up a fight.

Guy said calmly, "I'm sorry, Doctor, you have to see me in this terrible state. But they're right. I should atone for the wronged souls of my men; this lash is deserved."

Rein was tending to his injuries and didn't intend to offer any advice.

Only he himself can overcome that psychological hurdle.

He asked, "Where is Nareta?"

Guy remained calm. "They took him away."

"Oh, someone actually dared to arrest her?" Rein asked curiously.

Guy: "The Curse Tribe's bloodline possesses immense curse power, but they are also top-tier mediums, capable of using it to break curses. I heard those guys discovered a powerfully cursed Underground Palace, and an Archmage with a 'Curse Sequence' heard about Nareta and captured her. His Extraordinary Rank and abilities can suppress the negative effects of her bloodline. After all, Nareta is just an ordinary person."

Rein looked enlightened upon hearing this.

After thinking for a moment, he asked again, "So what are you planning to do? Get caught and then let a phantom thief who has become a noble kill you?"

"I don't think Nareta will die. But I'm worried about her falling into the hands of that curse mage. So, I plan to go and check on her."

At this point, Guy revealed his morbid optimism about life again. "Look, someone is planning to give me a free ride, so I don't have to go by myself."

"Hehe."

Rein chuckled. There's probably no one else in the world who would treat a prison van like a free ride except for this guy.

But upon hearing this, he knew that the other person didn't need his help at all.

And in this conversation, Guy unusually asked, "And you?"

Rein: "My friend has either been captured or killed by the Rosas Family. I'm going to check it out. Maybe I'll kill a few people."

Guy calmly replied, "Oh."

The two fell silent after that point.

Rein cleaned his wound, but it wasn't completely healed; instead, it left some rather clumsy-looking stitched scars.

After dealing with everything, he took out a milky-white potion and said, "This is a [Potent Nutrient Potion] that can help you recover some of your muscles. However, you need to circulate your battle qi to absorb it."

After thinking about it, Rein decided to give his advice to this person who was always thinking about "self-harm" and probably wouldn't stop.

He then added, "[Frost Moon Sword Master] Carlo Gracie should be appearing in 'Black Wind Territory' soon. I don't think you can persuade him in your current state."

Guy heard the name and remained silent, but his eyes flickered for a moment.

After saying it, I did it.

Rein left the prison van without looking back.

He resembled a greedy doctor who only cared about making a quick buck and gave a shoddy stitch.