Chapter 311: A Morning of Schemes and Sweet Temptation
A Morning of Schemes and Sweet Temptation
After the Ashbourne family’s plotline concluded.
Julian D’Aurelius, who was lying on the bed enjoying a massage from Liza Voss and Lina Ashford, heard the system’s notification in his ear.
"Ding, congratulations to the host for successfully completing the plot. Reward: Chaos Mirage Mist. Please check."
Hearing the system’s voice.
Julian D’Aurelius noticed a silver ring suddenly appearing on his right index finger.
The ring’s material was unknown.
Its surface felt cool to the touch.
Ancient-looking engravings covered its outer edge.
At its center rested a finely carved skull, giving off a somewhat alternative, edgy vibe.
Julian raised an eyebrow.
"What an unusual design..."
He slowly rotated the ring under the room’s warm light.
Liza Voss and Lina Ashford continued their massage without noticing anything unusual.
As always, the Tyrant System remained completely invisible to everyone except its host.
"Chaos Mirage Mist? What is this?"
Julian D’Aurelius asked the system in his mind.
The system explained the function and usage to Julian D’Aurelius.
A stream of information flowed naturally into his mind.
After the explanation, Julian D’Aurelius learned how to use the ring.
Simply pressing the skull on the ring would release a fragrance, the Chaos Mirage Mist.
Once the enemy inhaled it, their control over their body would reverse for a minute.
For instance, if they wanted to move left, their body would go right.
If they tried stepping backward...
Their body would move forward instead.
Even raising one arm could become the opposite movement.
In a state where up, down, left, right, front, and back were all reversed, even the most skilled expert couldn’t control their body.
Moreover, it would also affect the visual nerves, making everything appear reversed.
Except for the short control time of one minute.
This thing was practically a sneaky weapon.
However, its usage was quite limited, with only ten uses in total.
For Julian D’Aurelius, who had long been tormented by the Tyrant System, ten uses already felt like an unexpectedly generous reward.
His fingers lightly traced the black ring resting on his right index finger. It was unlike any ordinary accessory.
Forged from an unknown material that absorbed rather than reflected light, the ring seemed almost alive. A pair of finely engraved black wings wrapped around the band, while a small skull rested at its center, giving it an ominous yet strangely elegant appearance.
It wasn’t flashy.
It wasn’t luxurious.
But anyone who understood hidden weapons would immediately realize how terrifying it truly was.
The item suited Julian’s style perfectly.
He preferred winning before his enemies even realized a battle had begun.
[Looks like Steffan got screwed over this time.]
[Dare to try again next time.]
Julian chuckled inwardly.
Everything had gone almost exactly as he had expected.
Without lifting a finger himself, he had guided the situation until Steffan became the common enemy of the Ashbourne family.
Instead of creating unnecessary enemies personally, he simply nudged events in the right direction and let people’s own greed, suspicion, and arrogance do the rest.
Sometimes...
Borrowing another person’s hand was far cleaner than drawing your own sword.
The Tyrant System remained silent, but Julian could almost imagine it approving of today’s performance.
His gaze fell back onto the mysterious black-winged ring.
The Chaos Mirage Mist sounded deceptively simple, yet after understanding its effect, even he had to admit it was frightening.
A single press of the skull engraving would release an invisible fragrance.
Anyone who inhaled it would instantly lose normal control over their own body.
He preferred winning before his enemies even realized a battle had begun.
Left became right.
Forward became backward.
Up became down.
Even their vision would become completely reversed.
To an ordinary person, one minute might seem insignificant.
To an expert...
One second was enough to decide life and death.
One minute?
That was an eternity.
Julian smiled to himself.
"If I combine this with my own strength..."
He didn’t finish the sentence.
He didn’t need to.
The result was obvious.
Against a powerful opponent, creating even a single opening could completely change the outcome of a battle.
Ten uses.
Not many.
But if used correctly...
Every single use could save his life.
Satisfied, Julian leaned back against the headboard.
Only then did he notice Liza Voss and Lina Ashford were still kneeling beside the bed.
Liza’s long black hair flowed over her shoulders as she gently lowered her hands. Her black eyes remained calm and respectful.
Lina tucked a strand of emerald-green hair behind her ear before looking toward Julian with quiet admiration.
Although both women appeared composed, they had clearly spent a long time taking care of him.
Julian smiled warmly.
"You two have worked hard today. Go and rest."
The two women looked at one another before smiling.
"Okay, good night, Young Master Julian."
Their voices overlapped naturally.
Julian nodded.
"Sleep well."
The two women quietly left the room, gently closing the door behind them.
The bedroom gradually became silent.
Moonlight spilled across the floor through the window, while a cool breeze stirred the curtains.
Julian lay back comfortably.
His thoughts drifted toward the events of the day.
Steffan had suffered another devastating setback.
The Ashbourne family had completely turned against him.
Even if Steffan somehow escaped, rebuilding everything would not be easy.
Still...
Julian didn’t underestimate him.
"A protagonist never dies that easily."
He let out a quiet laugh.
"Let’s see what tricks you still have left."
Before long, sleep overtook him.
...
The next morning, sunlight streamed through the curtains.
Birdsong echoed faintly from outside, bringing a peaceful start to the day.
Julian slowly opened his eyes.
After stretching lazily, he reached for his phone beside the bed.
The screen lit up immediately.
Several unread messages were waiting.
One sender stood out instantly.
Bianca De Dominicis.
The corners of Julian’s lips lifted unconsciously.
Even before opening the chat, he could already imagine the teasing smile on Bianca’s beautiful face.
As expected...
The first message appeared.
"Hey, why aren’t you up yet?"
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