Chapter 171: Who’s Lying
The Driftdream Loch’s surface shimmered with an eerie calm as if the haunted estate itself held its breath, waiting to unleash its next horror. Donovan Valdez and Lordi Payne stood rigid, each facing one of the sword’s twin blades, their spooky crimson eyes glinting with predatory intent.
The air thickened with the weight of infernal presence, the devil sword’s gaze burning into them like embers pressed against flesh. Kneeling side by side, Donovan and Lordi remained still—outwardly composed, though their veins ran cold with unspoken terror.
Then, in perfect, chilling harmony, their voices intertwined—not as argument, but as declaration.
"The Senior Brother Hanz in the Ancestral Shrine is the real Krogh Hanz."
"The Senior Brother Hanz at the Ancient Stone Well is the real Krogh Hanz."
Donovan’s voice firm, laced with conviction born of his encounter in the gray-white void of the main hall in Ancestral Shrine.
Lordi’s tone equally resolute, his eyes narrowing as he met Donovan’s murderous gaze with unveiled hostility. The air crackled with tension, the sword’s oppressive aura amplifying their rivalry. The words hung between them, a dissonant truth. No hesitation, no rebuttal—only the quiet horror of mutual certainty. Each man had seen, had known, beyond doubt. And yet, one of them had to be wrong.
Donovan’s fingers curled inward, slow and deliberate, tendons tightening like drawn wire. Then—pop! One knuckle cracked, sharp as a breaking twig. Then another. And another. Crrk—Crrk—Crrk! A staccato rhythm of tension, each snap a muted but overwhelming murder intent against the young man beisde him. His jaw was set, his breath steady, but the sound betrayed the storm beneath—the coiled restraint of a man one breath away from violence.
The Mister First Dominator continued, his voice measured and assured. "I encountered Senior Brother Krogh Hanz within the Ancestral Shrine. His bearing carried the unmistakable grace of a Holy Sect elite—every gesture, every word, honed through years of discipline and transcendent wisdom. Appearances may be mimicked, auras forged in deceit... but such poise? Such effortless command? That is the indelible mark of Krogh Hanz himself." His tone left no room for doubt, his expression solemn and unwavering.
Hearing Donovan’s words, Lordi remained unfazed, his lips curving into a faint, knowing smile.