Chapter 285: The Arrest

In terms of background, Wendy came from a powerful wizard family, far surpassing Doren, who had clawed his way up from the bottom.

In terms of wealth, Wendy could easily outclass Doren by miles.

As for personal charm…

Wendy only needed a glance at a man to know exactly what kind of person he was.

Doren could put on a show in front of naive young girls, but in front of Wendy, his true nature was laid bare.

However, Wendy never exposed him. She always maintained a friendly demeanor in her dealings with Doren.

In the business world, it was best not to make enemies if you didn’t have to.

At first, Doren mistook Wendy’s kindness for interest, thinking he had a chance. He showered her with gifts and attention.

But after six months of trying, he realized that her attitude never changed. She always seemed just within reach, but no matter how hard he tried, he could never get any closer.

It was only then that Doren realized Wendy had no interest in him, and he stood no chance.

But Doren wasn’t one to give up easily. After all, he had the backing of an Abyssal dark god.

This was his trump card. Time and again, he had used the dark god’s power to overcome obstacles and solve problems.

Doren was always careful, leaving no trace behind.

When he decided to target Wendy, it wasn’t a rash decision. He had thought it through.

The resources Wendy controlled were far too valuable to him. If he could gain control over her, his rise to power would be swift.

Killing Wendy outright wasn’t an option. If she died, he wouldn’t be able to take over White Mountain Black Water’s business.

The best approach was to control Wendy, turning her into his slave.

By manipulating her from behind the scenes, he could profit while satisfying his personal desires.

Doren prayed to the dark god, and after communicating with him, the god granted him a wooden sculpture and instructed him on how to use it.

Following the dark god’s instructions, Doren quickly mastered the sculpture’s power and included it among the many gifts he regularly sent to Wendy.

He often gave Wendy gifts, so it didn’t seem suspicious.

The wooden sculpture couldn’t be given on its own, as that would be too strange. Mixing it in with other gifts was the best approach.

Normally, Wendy rarely opened the gifts herself. She would leave them piled up at home and only look at them when she had free time.

If she was in a bad mood, she might even give them away to her servants.

But Doren had anticipated this. He didn’t need Wendy to open the gifts herself.

As long as the wooden sculpture was in her home, it would automatically attract her to open the box and take out the sculpture.

Everything would happen quietly, without anyone noticing.

Doren was confident in his methods. All he had to do now was wait for the results.

According to the dark god, it would take about three to five days for the Heart-Eating Worm to fully control Wendy, a first-level wizard.

He wasn’t in a hurry. He just needed to wait patiently.

While waiting, he could also work on wooing Miss Layla from the small wizard family. Doren was quite pleased with his plans.

He picked up his fork and speared a juicy piece of meat, savoring the taste.

He was already imagining the life he would lead in the future.

Just then, a hand landed on his shoulder, and he hadn’t even noticed when the person had approached.

However, Doren wasn’t worried. This was the Avira Restaurant, not a place where just anyone could cause trouble.

With a displeased expression, he turned around and snapped, “Who are you?”

Pruis smiled. “Hello, I’m Pruis, head of Silvermoon City’s Defense and Security Department. I’m going to need you to come with us.”

Doren froze, not understanding at first. Then, stammering, he said, “W-Why? How do I know you’re telling the truth?”

Pruis took out his magic stone and showed Doren his identification.

After seeing it, cold sweat broke out on Doren’s back.

Pruis was a second-level wizard, and Doren could feel the magical aura emanating from him.

Moreover, the fact that none of the restaurant’s staff had intervened indicated that Pruis’s identity was legitimate. Even the Avira Restaurant wouldn’t interfere.

Despite its powerful background, Avira Restaurant wouldn’t dare obstruct Seranthiel’s business, especially when Pruis himself was involved.

Doren’s heart raced, but he forced himself to stay calm.

He knew what his biggest secret was. If it were discovered, there would be no chance of survival.

But Doren clung to a sliver of hope: as long as Pruis didn’t have evidence linking him to the Abyss Plane, they couldn’t do anything to him.

Pruis patted Doren’s shoulder. “Mr. Doren, shall we go?”

Doren wiped the sweat from his forehead with a napkin and forced a smile. “Miss Layla, I have some matters to attend to. Let’s continue our conversation another time.”

Layla, who recognized Pruis, looked at the group with uncertainty but only nodded slightly, not daring to speak.

Pruis lifted Doren from his chair and led him out of the Avira Restaurant.

The other diners watched in silence, not daring to make a sound. If Pruis, a second-level wizard, had come with so many people to arrest someone, it was clearly a serious matter.

It wasn’t until Pruis and his team left that the restaurant slowly returned to its usual buzz of conversation.

Layla, feeling uneasy, stood up to leave, but a waiter stopped her. “Excuse me, miss, your total is 450 magic stones.”

“450 magic stones?”

Layla’s face paled. She had forgotten that Doren had been taken away without paying the bill.

450 magic stones was no small amount. Layla only had a few hundred magic stones in her spatial ring, and now she had to use them all to pay for the meal.

She felt like crying but had no choice but to settle the bill.

In the carriage, Doren sat across from Helag.

Doren was extremely nervous, noticing that the young man across from him was staring at him intently, though he had no idea what he was thinking.

Helag could clearly sense the strong aura of the Abyss Plane emanating from Doren.

However, Doren himself wasn’t from the Abyss Plane, which meant he had had significant contact with it.

This was something Pruis hadn’t noticed, as his sensitivity to the Abyssal aura wasn’t as sharp.

After observing Doren for a while, Helag didn’t detect any other objects carrying the Abyssal aura, so he closed his eyes to rest.

As per protocol, Doren would be taken to Silvermoon City’s prison for interrogation.

Helag would have to accompany them all the way, as he was there to earn contribution points. He couldn’t leave halfway through.

tln : Poor layla 🙁