Corpse

One year ago.

A lavishly decorated mansion somewhere.

Although night had long fallen, the courtyard remained brightly lit, as if it were broad daylight.

At the banquet, nobles in magnificent attire weaved between the dance floor and the long tables. A massive crystal chandelier hung above, scattering countless fragments of light and shadow across the pillars and pristine white marble floor. The air was thick with the scent of alcohol and hormones.

"Alright, it is time for the main event," the noble hosting the banquet clapped his hands. A group of girls in tattered clothes, their hands bound by iron chains, were roughly dragged into this resplendent purgatory.

Cold shackles were fastened around their slender necks and wrists. Like lambs to the slaughter, they were pulled by attendants wielding chains and herded into the center of the hall, exposed beneath the glaring lights.

The girls huddled together, staring in terror at the intertwining figures around them. Their clear eyes reflected the twisted faces of the onlookers. The nobles' eyes flashed with undisguised greed, cruelty, and naked lust.

"The quality of this batch is much better than the last," a man with a meticulously trimmed beard sipped his fine wine, his gaze scraping across the girls like a blade.

"The number seems a bit low. I was hoping to get a few more for myself," a bloated old man grumbled in dissatisfaction, rubbing his chin with greasy fingers.

"They just look a bit thin. Feels like they won't last long."

"I actually quite like them this way."

As if some profane ritual had reached its climax, the nobles suddenly raised their goblets high and poured scarlet wine over the girls. The girls let out screams of terror as their thin garments were soaked through by the liquor, revealing their budding bodies.

"Let the feast begin!" A beast-like cheer erupted from the crowd, carrying an impatient excitement and frenzy.

Bang—

With a sharp crack, the lights in the banquet hall were suddenly snuffed out as if by a massive, invisible hand. The giant crystal chandelier plummeted from above and smashed heavily onto the floor, seemingly crushing a few unlucky souls.

"What happened?"

"Ah! My foot!"

"Somebody come quickly! Save me!"

The surroundings instantly descended into absolute chaos.

A ghostly figure had appeared in the middle of the banquet at some unknown moment.

"Who are you? Why are you dressed like that?" a drunken noble pointed at Luo Lun and teased. "No one told me this was a masquerade."

"It's Corpse! It's the assassin Corpse!"

Just as someone recognized the identity behind the skull mask, a sickeningly dull thud rang out. Immediately after, a head vanished from its neck, turning into a pile of mush that splattered across the wall.

The thick stench of blood instantly overpowered the aroma of wine and spices... making the air smell significantly better.

A merciless slaughter unfolded within the banquet hall.

The crisp cracks of bones being crushed by tremendous force, the hissing of air escaping from slit throats, out-of-tune whimpers, and short, miserable howls... a cacophony of inhuman sounds echoed endlessly. The once high-and-mighty nobles were now reduced to weak prey, like livestock waiting to be slaughtered in an abattoir.

It was unknown how much time had passed before the surroundings finally fell silent. Even the faint groans had vanished, leaving only the heavy stench of blood and darkness.

Luo Lun casually flicked the blood off her hands. With a snap of her fingers, the lights around them flared back to life.

Having cleaned up the filth... she felt refreshed.

The terrified girls were still blankly huddled together in their original spot, like overly frightened little beasts. Their gazes looked somewhat dazed as they stared at the severed limbs and broken bodies scattered around, painting a picture of utter helplessness.

Yet, faced with the purgatory-like scene before them, none of them screamed.

Blood mixed with the wine on their bodies, shimmering with a dazzling crimson light, blurring the boundaries between the two liquids until they were indistinguishable.

The scarlet fluid made the girls' skin look exceptionally pale.

Wearing the skull mask, Luo Lun stood above the pool of blood like a demon god.

The girls looked at Luo Lun with a mixture of fear and awe.

"It's alright now." Luo Lun raised her hand and slowly took off the terrifying mask, revealing a delicate and pretty face. This appearance was clearly much more approachable.

The girls exchanged glances. Finally, one who looked slightly older, with a trace of resilience still lingering in her eyes, gathered her courage and stepped out from the crowd. "My Lady... thank you for saving us."

These girls had been abducted and trafficked here from all over the world. Without Luo Lun, their subsequent fate could easily be imagined... death would likely have been a release.

However, how to settle these girls next was also a troublesome matter.

Sweeping through this manor and plundering the gold, silver, jewelry, famous paintings, and antiques stained with blood and tears to sell off could serve as travel expenses for these girls to return home, or as capital to settle down.

A rough plan formed in Luo Lun's mind.

"My Lady... down in the dungeon, there are still some people imprisoned. They..." the leading girl carefully pleaded with Luo Lun. "Could you please save them?"

Luo Lun gave a slight nod.

Led by the girl, Luo Lun quickly found the location of the hidden dungeon, and a sturdy iron door appeared before her.

Luo Lun had no intention of looking for the key. She took a half step back, and her right foot, like a battering ram, viciously kicked near the door lock!

Boom—

The heavy iron door was kicked out of shape by Luo Lun.

A faint, damp, musty smell immediately rushed at her face.

Passing through the gloomy tunnel and following the stairs all the way down... as if hearing Luo Lun's footsteps, the crisp sound of iron chains dragging on the ground came from ahead.

"Don't be afraid. I am here to save you," Luo Lun said softly.

Three naked elven girls were shackled to the wall by heavy chains. Their slender, snow-white wrists were a mangled mess of flesh and blood, and their bodies were covered in whip marks.

More accurately... there was only one. The other two had already lost all signs of life and were merely cold corpses.

Luo Lun's gaze darkened slightly, and her steps felt heavy as she walked up to the survivor.

Exerting force in her hands, the hard iron shackles were easily pried apart by Luo Lun, crumpled into a piece of scrap metal, and tossed onto the ground.

"Drug..."

The weak elven girl let out a hoarse whisper.

"Hmm? Do you want some water?" Luo Lun thought she had misheard.

But at that moment, the other party suddenly lunged forward with bloodshot eyes, her already incredibly frail body burning its final reserves of energy.

"Give me the drug! Give it to me! Give it!..." The elven girl madly threw herself at Luo Lun, who easily dodged her with a sidestep.

"Ah!" The elven girl began to scratch frantically at her own chest, tearing open bloody gashes. Her nails were ripped off, and she looked like a deranged demon.

Luo Lun delivered a clean knife-hand strike to the back of her neck, knocking her unconscious.

"Drug?" Luo Lun furrowed her brows tightly. "Looks like I'll need to investigate this thoroughly."