Chapter 92: The Blood Eye

The Riina Family Residence — Aldric Riina’s Office

After leaving Carl in Gerhard’s care, Lorenzo returned home immediately to report the outcome of his mission.

He stood before his father, who sat behind a massive mahogany desk, reviewing several documents. The dim lighting and neatly arranged shelves of files gave the office a quiet, imposing atmosphere.

"It’s done, Father. I’ve taken care of Zomboto Hiroshi."

Aldric didn’t look up from his documents.

"Go on."

"I intended to kill him, but then I realized you might need to extract information from him about the Dreamers organization. So, I left him half-dead and crippled."

Lorenzo shrugged.

"He’s not going anywhere without assistance, and I doubt he’ll be able to put up much of a fight in his current condition."

Aldric finally raised his eyes.

"You spared him?"

"More or less."

Lorenzo paused before adding, "I wouldn’t exactly call his current state pleasant."

Aldric studied his son for a moment before returning his attention to the documents.

"Did you discover anything about the Dreamers?"

"Nothing conclusive. Hiroshi was too busy begging for his life to provide anything useful. I thought it would be better to leave the interrogation to you."

"An appropriate decision."

Aldric set the documents aside.

"Although, knowing Hiroshi, I doubt he’ll cooperate willingly. He’s always been greedy, but recently, his ambition seems to have grown beyond his capabilities."

"That’s an understatement."

Lorenzo recalled the pathetic expression on Hiroshi’s face as the man knelt on the bloodstained floor.

He had never particularly liked dealing with people who mistook their own greed for ambition. Hiroshi was a perfect example of what happened when someone acquired power without possessing the judgment to use it properly.

At least the man would no longer be able to hide behind the Riina Family’s name.

As Lorenzo was contemplating his next move, Aldric rose from his chair and approached him.

Without saying anything, his father placed a hand on Lorenzo’s shoulder.

A faint blue spark flashed where their hands touched.

Lorenzo immediately felt something change.

A notification appeared before his eyes.

\[You have received a new artifact: Blood Eye.\]

"Father?"

Lorenzo looked at the notification in confusion before turning toward Aldric.

"What’s this?"

Aldric withdrew his hand and stepped back.

"Lorenzo, do you remember what you asked me for when you began your successor training?"

Lorenzo considered the question.

"Something that could help me control my OCD?"

"Precisely."

Aldric nodded.

"You told me that your Perfectionist trait sometimes interferes with your judgment and makes it difficult for you to concentrate on anything other than correcting imperfections. You wanted something that could help you manage it."

He paused briefly.

"So, I made this for you."

Lorenzo stared at his father.

"You made an artifact specifically for me?"

"Yes."

Aldric returned to his desk as though creating an S-rank artifact to address his son’s psychological difficulties were an entirely ordinary undertaking.

"It took some time to find a suitable solution. Your condition isn’t simply an obsession with cleanliness or symmetry. It affects your attention, your judgment, and occasionally even your behavior during combat."

His expression became slightly more serious.

"I won’t allow that weakness to become the reason you lose your life someday."

Lorenzo fell silent.

He had complained about his Perfectionist trait countless times, but he had never expected Aldric to go this far to help him manage it.

Of course, his father had every reason to be concerned.

The trait could be useful in certain situations, allowing Lorenzo to notice details that others overlooked. However, its disadvantages were equally troublesome.

Sometimes, he couldn’t focus on anything else until an imperfection had been corrected.

And the worst part was that he didn’t always have the luxury of correcting it.

A crooked picture frame could distract him when he was trying to concentrate. An asymmetrical arrangement could irritate him at the worst possible moment.

And, on particularly unfortunate occasions, even an enemy’s death could become a source of frustration if the result wasn’t quite right.

Don’t remind me of that last one.

Lorenzo recalled Zomboto Hiroshi’s mutilated arms and immediately dismissed the thought.

He had better things to worry about.

Such as the artifact his father had just given him.

Lorenzo glanced at the notification floating before his eyes.

\[New Artifact Acquired!\]

\[Artifact: Blood Eye\]

\[Rank: S\]

\[Type: Charm\]

\[Description: An artifact created by Aldric Riina specifically for Lorenzo Riina. It suppresses the negative effects of the Perfectionist trait, allowing the wearer to tolerate imperfections without experiencing overwhelming compulsions.\]

\[Effect: Obsession Suppression\]

\[The wearer’s sensitivity to imperfections is reduced. Minor irregularities will cause only mild irritation rather than triggering an overwhelming urge to correct them.\]

\[Warning: This artifact cannot eliminate the Perfectionist trait or suppress its effects completely. Severe imperfections may still trigger the wearer’s obsession.\]

Lorenzo blinked.

Then he read the notification again.

An S-rank artifact.

And his father had created it specifically for him.

He raised his head.

"Father, you made this yourself?"

"Yes."

"An S-rank artifact?"

"Must I repeat myself?"

"No, no. I just wanted to make sure I wasn’t imagining things."

Aldric gave him a flat look.

Lorenzo coughed lightly.

"How did you manage to create something like this?"

"That’s not important for now."

Aldric picked up another document.

"What matters is that it works. However, don’t become overly dependent on it. You still need to learn how to control yourself without relying on an artifact."

Lorenzo nodded.

"Understood."

He lowered his gaze toward the pendant resting against his chest.

The Blood Eye was a small, dark-red gemstone set within a silver frame. Its surface resembled a drop of blood, and a faint crimson light flickered inside it whenever he moved.

It was surprisingly elegant.

More importantly, it appeared to be perfectly symmetrical.

Lorenzo examined it from several angles.

The gemstone sat precisely in the center of the frame. The silver edges were evenly proportioned, and neither side appeared even slightly different from the other.

Perfect.

A smile slowly spread across his face.

Then he remembered something.

"Wait, Father. Why is it called Blood Eye?"

Aldric looked up from his documents.

"Because of its appearance."

Lorenzo stared at him.

"...That’s it?"

"Would you prefer another name?"

Lorenzo considered the question.

"No. Blood Eye sounds fine."

He wasn’t going to be picky about the name, even if his father’s naming sense left something to be desired.

Besides, it was a gift from his father.

And a rather extraordinary one at that.

"Thank you, Father."

Aldric gave a brief nod.

"Don’t mention it."

Lorenzo slipped the pendant beneath his shirt.

Almost immediately, he noticed a subtle difference.