Master the Abyss, starting from an apprentice priest.

Chapter 344: Conclusion! [Shadow of Order Murder]

"The Order Killer?" Luo Xiu followed Bruyer's words and asked back:
"Have you discovered the 'Order Killer'?"

"Yes," said Bruyère, nodding his head.

"It was in the 'Roggins Mansion' - in the room of its original owner, the Grand Inquisitor 'Villa Roggins', we found a secret document."

"document?"

"Yes, a document..."

Isaac, the "Knight of the Throne" on the side, glanced at Luo Xiu and suddenly asked him:

"Luo Xiu, you asked me before about the 'Fire Bronze Knight' Holdwell."

"Do you know anything else?"

"..."

When Isaac asked back about the name of "Fire Bronze Knight" Holdwell, Luo Xiu knew that they had indeed found the "clues" he left in Velino's room.

Luo Xiu nodded, and there was a hint of depth in his eyes when he looked at Isaac:

"Indeed, I have the key to his collusion with the pagans."

As he spoke, his hand had already lightly touched the storage bracelet, and he extracted another "secret note" from it -

That was the secret note that Anthony found in the lair of the remnants of the "Blood of Thorns" when he went to the "Town of Onsica" to execute the Holy Judgment. It contained information that their great leader, a "Flesh and Blood Priest", would use the "Fire Bronze Knight" Holdwell as a "secret contact".

He handed the secret note to the "Knights of the Throne" Isaac and Bruyère in front of him. They took it solemnly and read it three times.

Seeing their faces becoming increasingly gloomy, Luo Xiu sighed and said:
"No offense. It's just that it's my duty to investigate the heresy involving Red Lotus, so I didn't explain the situation to you right away."

"...Alas." Isaac also sighed and handed the secret note back to Luo Xiu, who took it with both hands.

"'Fire Bronze Knight' Holdwell, he is the 'Order Killer'."

Isaac said in a heavy tone:

"I didn't expect that he would be related to the pagans you are investigating... This is truly a [Supreme] shame."

The atmosphere suddenly became a little depressing.

"At least... you discovered them in advance, so a bigger disaster was not caused."

Luo Xiu comforted the two old knights in front of him, and then asked tentatively:

"What else did you find?"

"...In addition to the 'Fire Bronze Knight' Holdwell, the document also contains the names of other 'Order Killers'."

Bruyer said:

"'Inquisitor' Chinonen Luid, and 'Iron Knight' Kandel Fellowes, they are both 'Order Killers'! I never noticed it before..."

"I didn't expect that what we were investigating would end in this way."

Luo Xiu looked at Isaac, then at Bruyère, and said:
"That is to say, you dug out three 'Order Killers' in a row in that Loggins mansion... But wouldn't it be a problem if I knew too much?"

"No, it's okay - because the Marquis doesn't intend to keep it secret, Luo Xiu."

Isaac tapped the chessboard in front of him with his fingers, making a "dong, dong" sound, and said:
"Bruyère and I both saw the Marquis's rage. The Marquis's 'Divine Seal Knights' rushed out on the spot and arrested the three 'Order Killers' from their homes and the streets. The Marquis even threatened to give them the most cruel death."

"I don't know why Marquis Bakar is so angry... Maybe it's because the Order Killer is too insidious and cunning, and he wants to deter other potential Order Killers."

No, actually it’s because his son died… Luo Xiu complained in his heart.

However, according to Isaac, the three "Order Killers" have been controlled and will soon be executed - then his hidden mission [Shadow of Order Killing] will be completed soon.

In addition to the mission rewards, Luo Xiu can also settle another kill reward later - the kill reward for "Villino Bakar". Luo Xiu had tried to settle it once, but didn't get anything good. Now he is waiting for the cooling of the expertise "Lost Path Explorer".

"Maybe that's the case." Luo Xiu echoed Isaac's words and asked him casually:
"To be honest, I haven't even seen what the 'Fire Bronze Knight' Holdwell looks like."

"You're one step faster than me, ha... But it doesn't matter, the result is the same."

……

After chatting with Isaac and Bruyère for a while, Luo Xiu said goodbye, went up to the third floor and returned to his room.

He probably knew everything he wanted to know, and also learned from Isaac the execution date of the three "order killers", which would be the next morning.

At that time, on the "Supreme Square" on Gawain Street - this military restricted area will be open for one morning on the second day of the murder at the Loggins Mansion. All citizens of Songyuan City can enter and watch the entire process of the execution of those who attempt to subvert order.

Luo Xiu has already decided that when the time comes, he will definitely go to "watch the ceremony" - only when he sees those three people die with his own eyes will he be completely at peace.

……

Day and night rotate in the sky, and the morning light of the next day soon fills the world.

Luo Xiu fell asleep very early the day before and woke up early this day, having changed into his usual casual clothes for traveling.

After washing up in the bathroom, Luo Xiu walked down the Wolf Hunting Tavern and went straight to the courtyard.

The "Knights of the Throne" Isaac and Bruyère were no longer in the tavern. They only left a note saying they were going to carry out a mission, and asked the guests staying in the tavern to "do as they please".

Luo Xiu then walked out of the courtyard and walked along the main road towards Gaowen Street.

……

Songyuan City, Gaowen Street.

This military stronghold, which is usually solemn and deserted, with only teams of Supreme Guard Knights patrolling and sentinel, now seems unusually lively.

The news that Marquis Bakar had "opened" Gowen Street soon spread throughout the core blocks of Songyuan City.

Many citizens flocked here, vying to occupy the best position to witness the execution of the "Order Killer" -

Because of the "War of Judgment", the haze of fear always lingers in people's hearts and takes a long time to dissipate.

Even in the relatively safe lord city "Songyuan City", people could not suppress their panic about the war - long-term peace had become a luxury, and for many people, the war was like a sword hanging over their heads, which could be cut down at any time!
In this breathless era of war, witnessing the executions of heretics, cultists, and the like is one of the few ways for people under high pressure to vent. Everyone knows this, and therefore everyone's eyes are gleaming with some inexplicable excitement.

……

Wearing a plain cloak, Luo Xiu squeezed through the surging crowd and finally came to the high execution platform - he saw the three "Order Killers" who had been tortured to a bloody mess.

The only "Fire Bronze Knight" he had ever seen, Holdwell, was on the execution platform. He had been stripped of his fire bronze armor and was wearing only a thin, tattered prisoner uniform, shivering in the cold wind.

They were originally the [Supreme], but now they had completely lost their high and mighty temperament. They were just hanging on the rack with barbed ropes, dying, like corpses waiting to die.

On both sides of Holdwell were two other "Order Killers" - 'Inquisitor' Chinoning Louis, and 'Iron-Blood Knight' Kandel Fellowes. They had disheveled hair, blood all over their bodies, and their eyes were unfocused due to extreme distraction.

The three "order killers" were hung high up like this, with their feet pierced into their flesh by thorny ropes, and tied about one meter above the ground.

There was already a pile of firewood under their feet.

The twelve royal knights on guard were each holding a torch in their hands. Under their helmets engraved with red patterns, their sharp eyes kept scanning the surroundings, alert for any unstable factors.

Until a "Divine Knight" dressed in gorgeous armor, riding a tall armored warhorse, came galloping, holding the golden scabbard that symbolizes the status of a lord, and stepped onto the high platform.

"I am under the orders of Marquis Vizia Bacar to supervise the execution."

The gorgeous knight raised the lord's scabbard high and declared:

"——The Order Killer who attempted to overthrow order!"

"——That abominable heretic should be cut into pieces!"

"By order of Marquis Vizia Bakar, he will be subjected to the punishment of burning!"

When the Knight of the Divine Seal announced the "judgment" of Marquis Vizia on them, the twelve Royal Guard Knights around him raised their torches high at the same time.

Luo Xiu saw that the three "Order Killers" who were tied up on the platform seemed to tremble, and fear subconsciously appeared in their distracted pupils.

Holdwell, whose face was covered with scars, seemed to open his mouth and wanted to shout something, but only made a humming sound.

His tongue was gone! In Holdwell's mouth, the broken wound was barely visible and blood was gushing out, making his face look even more bloody and terrifying.

At the same time, the twelve royal knights around them had thrown torches at the pile of firewood under them.

——Bang!

The flammable pile of wood suddenly burst into flames, the fire soon illuminated the sky red, and the raging flames roared raging on the stake.

“——Aa ...

Holdwell, as well as the "Order Killers" Chinoning and Kandel beside him, wailed miserably, but the raging flames had already spread to their feet, then burned upwards along their clothes like biting, and soon devoured them completely.

"Burn him! Burn him!"

The people around kept shouting, and even though the restless crowd was blocked outside the cordon by the knights, they still couldn't stop themselves from excitedly moving towards the inner circle.

Luo Xiu just remained calm, his pair of pale golden eyes under the hood staring at the three people who were burning in the flames on the execution platform. He watched their struggles gradually weaken, and listened to their screams being gradually swallowed up by the flames.

This is the "cruelest way of death" that Marquis Vizia gave them...

In fact, this is far from being the "most cruel", but for Marquis Vizia, being burned by fire is a punishment that is deterrent enough.

Until the flames on the execution platform spread to the highest point, until any spiritual aura in it was annihilated, a new prompt flashed on Luo Xiu's panel -

[“The Order Killer” Holdwell Aminos, dead]

[“The Order Killer” Chinoning Luid, has died]

[Kandel Fellowes, the "Order Killer", has died]

【…】

[Hidden Mission: Shadow of the Killing Order (Hell Difficulty), Status Update——]

[You have completed the second mission objective—you have successfully eliminated three "Order Killers" with "Fourfold Fate" or above.]

【…】

This information appeared on the panel, and the hidden mission of "Hell" difficulty [Shadow of Murder] has now completed all the mission objectives.

"Settlement." Luo Xiu then gave instructions for settlement on the panel.

His panel was once again filled with light and shadow, and the settlement interface appeared before him.

[Completed the hidden mission: Shadow of the Killing (Hell Difficulty)]

[You have killed the "Order Killer Leader" Velino Bakar, and eliminated three "Quadruple Fate" Order Killers. As a believer of [Glory], you have brought down divine judgment on heretics; as a subject of the Empire, you have protected the precarious order.]

[The task is being settled...]

[Get basic completion rewards: Basic experience +54000, free attribute points +16]

[Obtain additional completion rewards: Basic experience +114000, free attribute points +24, expertise "Shadow of Order Killing (Epic, Limited)" *1]

【…】

[Shadow of Order Killing (Epic, Limited): The fear of you has been deeply engraved into the bones of those who attempt to subvert it - even if it is just your shadow. ]

[Your "Strength", "Wisdom" and "Resistance" attributes +12. When your attack causes damage, the "Fear" effect will be applied to the target with a certain probability - the greater the difference between your "Strength" attribute and the target's "Strength" attribute, the higher the success rate of applying "Fear" (up to 20%), and the deeper the degree of the "Fear" abnormal state applied (up to Depth). ]

[When the enemy is in the abnormal state of "fear", the attack power and defense power will decrease to varying degrees (up to 20%), and will instinctively resist fighting. When releasing skills, the mana consumed will increase to a certain extent, lasting for 30 seconds. ]

[Continuously attacking an enemy in the "Fear" state will deepen the effect and duration of the "Fear" abnormal state. When the target is already in the "Deep Fear" abnormal state, a new "Fear" abnormal state can be applied. Through this expertise, up to three layers of "Fear" abnormal state can be applied to the target. ]

【…】

This is the effect of the limited expertise "Shadow of Order"...

After quickly browsing the contents on the panel, Luo Xiu closed the panel and took one last look at the raging flames in front of him.

The three corpses were burning from the inside out. The burnt and foul smell spread with the flames, reflecting the increasingly red eyes of the people around them.

Luo Xiu pulled his hood and turned to leave.

Amid the restlessness and shouting, he had left Gowen Street and disappeared at the end of the crowded street.

……

(End of this chapter)