Chapter 167: Turner Family
"All right..."
After waking up the next morning, Cillian couldn’t help but remember the simple deal he and Fergus had made, feeling disappointed that he wasn’t getting the reaction he had wanted to see from the villain.
He found his reactions quite boring.
"Turning a new leaf, eh."
Though Cillian found that situation unlikely to happen, since Fergus’ Death Flag above his head said otherwise, he would still try to lend a hand with their request. He didn’t mind if Vin and Phillip chose to take the path of the Ruiner.
However, Fergus taking that path slightly bothered him. It was something he hadn’t expected, mostly because he hadn’t been paying close attention to Fergus... but why would he?
Putting that matter aside, Cillian accepted the deal.
’His Death Flag is stable. Though it isn’t escalating, it isn’t decreasing either. Hahh, the only reason I accepted the deal is that he seems set on getting revenge on the Shepherds. I can use him as some sort of wild card. However, that comes with risks as well, which is his unpredictability. That’s why he’s a wild card.’
Cillian got out of bed and went downstairs to start his day. As usual, the house was already empty, with everyone off doing whatever they wanted. As he approached the table, he noticed a note left by his family.
/Here’s the food! Don’t skip your meal!/
Letting out a short smile, Cillian sat at the table alone, but he didn’t feel that lonely as he began eating his food.
...
After locking the door of his house, dressed casually in a brown polo and black pants, Cillian’s mission for today was to finalize the plan for the upcoming mini-war and meet with Scott to discuss the situation within.
That’s why he was headed toward the nearest house he could remember, which would take him to the Underworld. It’s no longer called abandoned houses due to the influx of people seeking homes and using them as shelter.
Cillian glanced around Viola while remembering the routes of the available elevators he could use.
Viola quickly adjusted.
There was no other choice but to do so, and it was apparent that those who weren’t affected too much were able to adapt quickly. Those who were directly affected had a harder time adjusting, but others, like Cillian’s family, were able to adapt well.
Eventually, Cillian ignored the changes happening in the world above and immediately entered a house that had been turned into a tool shop. It was a public establishment, so it wasn’t difficult to enter as he made his way toward the elevator.
It only took a few minutes before he got out of the elevator and made his way toward where Scott was currently located.
"Yo."
Scott nudged his glasses at the bridge of his nose and greeted him in return. Then, he put on a half-mask that covered part of his face. For some reason, it didn’t bother him, even with his eyeglasses on.
Then, he said:
"I got the people you wanted."
"Nice."
Scott led Cillian into the basement of the house they were using as the base of their operation before bringing him in front of a room.
"Here."
Scott handed Cillian a paper filled with information and a full mask. Cillian soon put on the mask and grabbed the paper before they entered the first room.
A half-dead person was sitting in an electric chair, barely breathing. His fingernails had been torn out, while nasty cuts covered his body.
The only part left untouched throughout all of this was the victim’s face, something Cillian had specifically ordered. Other than that, Cillian didn’t care what they did with the victim.
Cillian looked through the information as he held the paper Scott had given him.
/Liam Mellor
A low-ranking officer working for the Unblemished Gang./
This guy, who had been on the brink of death, would become one of the identities Cillian would begin using as the turnover of the entire Undercity will commence.
Scott, with the help of his men, Dena, and Dennis, had done their job well by kidnapping a few people from the newly formed factions that had risen to power in the Underworld. They had done it swiftly and cleanly, making sure no problems would arise for Cillian’s side.
As for the mask, Scott had taken the precaution in case the victims escaped and somehow remembered their faces.
’Hah, it’s too convenient for me to team up with this strategist. I wonder how the recent attack would have turned out if I’d already known him back then.’
With that wishful thought in mind, Cillian glanced at Scott before leaving.
They then went through the next three rooms, doing anything but stare at the poor people inside. Their faces were the only parts left untouched, while the rest of their bodies had been completely wrecked.
Eventually, they reached the fourth room, where the torturer appeared as screams went throughout the place.
"Ugh!"
If not for the fact that this room was soundproof, something Scott had already taken care of, the people outside might have heard even the slightest sound and somehow reported what was happening inside.
"Stop! Please!"
The torturer, who was also wearing a half-mask like Scott, revealed a nasty smile as he continued plucking the fingernails of his victims.
"I want information, and what you have is nothing. How can you beg for sparing your life if you half-assed your story?"
It was none other than Dennis, revealing his true self, something Scott had already seen before during the time they have been together.
This was the other side of the coin for Dennis, whose family had both an above-world appearance and an Underworld appearance. Their family, the Turner Family, was very adept at torture.
They were the kind of people everyone hired when it came to torturing someone because of how efficient they were at gathering information. What made this family frightening was their influence in the above world, particularly within the Viola territory, where his father was part of the former Viola council while his mother had strong connections with Hanetry and Xesie.
Though right now, the position they held in the above world significantly limited their power, since the Viola Family was currently in the gutters.
Knock—!
Scott gave a short knock to get Dennis’s attention, which he quickly did. Dennis turned around, revealing a bloodied mask and a ridiculous smirk on his face, as if this were nothing more than a source of enjoyment for him.
’He’s having fun in his own way. What... a hobby.’
It amused Cillian. He welcomed these crazy people as long as they remained his allies.
Dennis stood up from his position and used wipes to remove the bloodstains from his hands before approaching Cillian.
"You’re about to hear something amazing."
"I guess it’s that amazing if you’re smiling from ear to ear."
Dennis shrugged before shaking his head.
"The beauty of torture is the ability to procure information from its victims. That has always been the agenda of our family and why we’ve continued doing this job. Though it’s not like you’d be interested in knowing more."
Cillian pondered for a moment before saying, his head slightly tilting.
"Who said I’m not interested? I’ll hear about it once we’re done with everything here."
Dennis somehow froze in his spot upon hearing Cillian’s straightforward reply, only to hear him continue.
"But first, what did you find?"