Chapter 526: Chapter 526: A Terrifying Forbidden Technique

"Mom, I want to eat fried chicken! Can you give me some?"

A ten-year-old boy looked at the beautiful woman sitting beside him.

The woman smiled, picked up a piece of fried chicken, and placed it on his plate.

"Eat up, my dear. I cooked everything for you," she said affectionately.

"Hehehe! Thank you, Mom!" The boy beamed as he eagerly ate the chicken.

"Tsk! You spoil him too much, Elena. What if he becomes a brat in the future?"

A young, handsome man sitting at the head of the dining table sighed helplessly.

Elena giggled, then replied with a hint of dissatisfaction. "What are you saying, my husband? Castar was missing for a year, and now he’s finally back with us. How could I not spoil him?"

The man simply smiled and shook his head. He couldn’t blame his wife.

Their only son, Castar, had been missing for an entire year. The incident had deeply shaken their family.

After all, he was their only son, the one who would one day inherit the Viscount family.

Sitting across from Elena and Castar was a thirteen-year-old girl.

Unlike the three of them, who looked neat and well-dressed, the girl appeared shabby, as if she didn’t belong there.

She kept her head lowered and ate in silence.

The man, Elena, and Castar didn’t even spare her a glance.

They continued their casual conversation in a warm and lively atmosphere.

"Oh, right, my husband, I want to ask you something," Elena said curiously. "Have you decided whom you will choose in the battle for the throne?"

When the topic came up, Castar’s expression changed slightly. However, he quickly calmed down and continued eating, occasionally glancing at the two of them.

"Regarding that matter, I’ve already given it some thought. In my opinion, Prince Cedric is stronger in terms of political power and intelligence. If our family supports him, we will surely achieve glory in the future," the man replied calmly. "What do you think, Elena? Is my plan too hasty?"

Elena pierced a piece of beef on her plate and ate it.

After chewing and swallowing, she looked at him gently and said, "Your decision is perfect, my husband. But if I may offer my opinion, I’m more inclined toward Princess Elina."

"Oh?" The man’s eyebrows rose slightly. "Can you explain that to me?"

Elena smiled and explained, "Princess Elina is directly supported by the Singularity of Chaos. Although that powerful figure has never openly admitted it, who in this empire is unaware of his intentions? In addition, Princess Elina has also gained the support of the Eastern Duke, Alvaron Austin. Her foundation is very strong—no less than Prince Cedric, who is backed by the Northern Duke, and the First Prince, who is supported by the Southern Duke."

Upon hearing this, the man fell into deep thought. In truth, he had considered this as well.

At present, Elina was leading the battle for the throne, surpassing both Aldric and Cedric.

What he didn’t say was that he had received a special letter from Margaretta Ashvale, the young lady of the Ashvale family.

He was asked to support Cedric in the battle for the throne.

In return, he and his family would receive new territories and additional privileges.

Of course, he did not accept it immediately. That was why he needed to discuss it with his wife first.

Castar listened to their conversation in silence, a meaningful smile slowly spreading across his lips.

They continued their dinner until it ended.

When they were done, Elena looked at the girl in front of her and ordered, "Go clean up all these dirty dishes. Don’t ask the servants for help. Do you understand?"

The girl nodded weakly. "I understand, Mother—I mean, Madam."

Elena frowned, but she was too lazy to argue and walked away, with Castar by her side.

The man glanced at the girl with a complicated expression. She was his illegitimate child, born from an affair with a maid in the past—right before his wife became pregnant with Castar.

A year ago, when Castar disappeared, the girl appeared and claimed to be his daughter.

Her appearance clearly caused tension between him and his wife.

What made it worse was that Castar had vanished without a trace, further straining their relationship.

Fortunately, Castar reappeared a year later, and that became the key to repairing their relationship.

As for the girl, he didn’t really care. However, to suppress the negative publicity surrounding her, he had no choice but to let her stay here.

Sighing softly, he shook his head and left the dining room, leaving the girl alone.

***

"Good night, my love. May you have sweet dreams."

Elena kissed Castar’s forehead affectionately.

Castar smiled sweetly. "Good night to you too, Mom."

He closed his eyes and soon fell asleep. Elena couldn’t hold back her smile.

She stared at Castar’s familiar face, her expression filled with guilt and longing.

Because of her carelessness in the past, she had lost her son for an entire year.

If not for the gods’ miracle, she knew it would have been impossible to see him again.

Shaking her head, she stood up, turned off the light, and walked away.

Shortly after Elena disappeared from view, Castar’s closed eyes suddenly opened.

The innocence on his face vanished, replaced by a cold and indifferent expression.

"What a stupid family. Do they really think I’m their biological son?" he sneered.

He pushed aside the blanket, got out of bed, and walked to his desk.

Opening a drawer, he took out a piece of paper and began writing down what he had gathered from their earlier conversation.

When he finished, he folded the paper, placed it into an envelope, and snapped his fingers.

Instantly, a bird appeared out of thin air.

"Take this to Young Lady Margaretta. Remember—it must arrive safely. If not..."

His eyes sharpened, filled with a veiled threat.

The bird shuddered and nodded quickly.

"Good. Now go," he dismissed it.

The bird flapped its wings and vanished into the night sky.

Castar sighed softly and whispered, "Once my task is complete, I can return to headquarters."

He was a spy from the Underworld Gate. His job was to observe every movement of the Duke Ashvale family.

But who would have thought that the young lady of the Ashvale family could discover his identity with just a single glance?

Fortunately, he was not killed. Instead, he was ordered to watch over this family and report every word they said, just as he had done during the dinner earlier.

"Today’s mission is complete. Now I can go to sleep," he muttered.

As he was about to turn back to his bed, something shocking suddenly happened.

A streak of red light shot down from the sky and slammed into the window, shattering it.

Castar didn’t have time to react as the light pierced his left chest. In the next instant, a black claw formed and crushed his heart.

His eyes widened. His vision darkened, and with a heavy thud, his body collapsed, his life ending on the spot.

And it wasn’t just him. All members of the Underworld Gate across the continent met the same fate.

It was a simultaneous massacre, one that would trigger widespread panic the following day.