Chapter 254 — The Chancellor’s Plans

Chapter 254: Chapter 254 — The Chancellor’s Plans

Chapter 254 — The Chancellor’s Plans

Deep within a crevice on Basement Level Five, the Chancellor sat behind a table, his fingers tapping impatiently against its wooden surface.

A tiger mask concealed his face, but it did little to hide the anger radiating from him.

News of Daniel’s death had reached him.

So had the destruction of their facility in Region F.

Across from him stood a younger member of the Evil God Organization. His face was hidden behind a sinister deer mask, its twisted features giving it an unsettling appearance.

The Chancellor stared at him for several seconds before speaking.

"So Daniel really went and screwed everything up, even after I specifically told him not to."

The deer-masked member lowered his head.

"Yes, Chancellor. It seems took matters into his own hands. He abducted Lyra, the female member of Victor’s party, and brought her to one of our underground facilities in Region F."

He paused.

"Somehow, Victor managed to track her there. We still haven’t determined how, but he followed her all the way to the facility."

The Chancellor’s fingers stopped tapping.

"And not only did he find her," the member continued, "he somehow brought what appears to be the Secret Order with him."

"The Secret Order!"

The Chancellor’s voice erupted into a guttural roar.

"Why must they always interfere with our plans? Why can’t they understand?"

His palm slammed against the table.

"Don’t they realize that a life of servitude to the beasts is better than anything humanity could achieve on its own? Don’t they understand that the Evil God only wants what’s best for us?"

His voice rose with every word.

"I wish I could burn every last one of them! They all deserve to die!"

The deer-masked member remained perfectly still.

He had learned long ago that there was little point speaking when the Chancellor became like this.

Eventually, the outburst subsided.

"Yes, Chancellor. Unfortunately, the attack has also caused a significant setback to our preparations."

A brief pause.

"We lost nearly fifteen hundred sacrifices."

The Chancellor leaned back in his chair.

"Yes. I’m well aware."

His fingers curled around the armrest.

"I’m only one step away from breaking through into the Earth Realm. Once I succeed, this Tower will belong to the Evil God."

He shook his head bitterly.

"We were so close. Only a few weeks away from finalizing everything, and that fool Snake Mask just had to take matters into his own hands."

His voice turned cold.

"I wish he were standing here right now. I’d gouge out his eyes and laugh while he screamed."

Behind the deer mask, the younger member’s expression tightened.

Only for a moment.

Then it disappeared.

The Chancellor was too consumed by his anger to notice.

After a while, the Chancellor released a long breath.

"No matter."

His fingers resumed their slow rhythm against the table.

"We’ll simply have to keep moving forward."

He leaned forward.

"We have other plans already in motion. Plans that will begin very soon. Once they do, nothing will be able to stop the Evil God’s reign over this Tower."

Some of his earlier confidence returned.

"We will control the Tower."

Then his masked face turned toward the younger member.

"And we will acquire Victor Ashcroft."

The deer-masked member said nothing.

"That boy has interfered with our affairs far too many times. His secrets alone make him valuable, but now he’s becoming a threat."

The Chancellor’s gaze remained fixed on him.

"We need to discover what he knows and make certain he never interferes with our plans again."

The younger member shifted almost imperceptibly.

The Chancellor continued.

"I’ll need you to get close to Victor."

A beat of silence passed.

"Close enough that he trusts you."

The deer-masked member looked toward him.

"With the Tower Master and the Secret Order protecting him, capturing the boy directly will be nearly impossible. We need him to lower his guard."

The Chancellor leaned back.

"And the only way to accomplish that is through someone he already believes he can trust."

The younger member’s hand tightened slightly at his side.

"Yes, Chancellor."

"It won’t be easy, but our opportunity will come."

The Chancellor settled deeper into his chair.

"We still have time. Yes, we’ve suffered a considerable setback, but our backup plan has been in motion for some time."

A smile slowly formed beneath his mask.

"And they’ll never see it coming."

Silence filled the chamber.

The younger member remained where he was.

Waiting.

Eventually, the Chancellor raised one hand.

"Now, bring me the next sacrifice. I need to continue increasing my power."

He glanced toward the table.

"The day we complete the Earth Realm sacrificial rite is approaching. We already possess the catalyst and most of the sacrifices required."

His fingers curled slowly into a fist.

"Once our backup plan begins, we’ll obtain the rest."

Anticipation crept into his voice.

"And then this Tower will be ours for the taking."

His fist tightened.

"Nobody will stand in our way. Nobody."

A brief pause.

"Not even that fool Valseer."

The deer-masked member bowed.

"Yes, Chancellor. Understood."

The Chancellor waved him away impatiently.

"Then hurry and bring me my next sacrifice. We must appease the Evil God before our recent failures bring his displeasure upon us."

His voice lowered.

"We cannot afford to disappoint our master."

"Yes, Chancellor. At once."

The deer-masked member bowed again before turning toward the door.

He stepped into the hallway and quietly closed it behind him.

For several seconds, he didn’t move.

The Chancellor’s words lingered in his mind.

Daniel.

Fifteen hundred lost sacrifices.

The catalyst.

Victor.

His hand slowly tightened into a fist.

The news had affected him more deeply than the Chancellor realized.

Not because of the facility.

Not because of the lost sacrifices.

Daniel was dead.

And to the Chancellor, that seemed to matter only because Daniel’s final mistake had inconvenienced him.

Then there was Victor.

His fist tightened further.

There were things he had learned during that conversation that he hadn’t known before.

Things he wished he still didn’t know.

But wishes meant very little here.

After several seconds, he forced his hand open.

Then he started down the hallway.

Whatever he thought about the Chancellor’s orders, there was still another sacrifice waiting to be retrieved.