Chapter 146: The Origins of the Evernight Order

"The Evernight Order?"

Leo's gaze sharpened slightly.

Though he'd spent years navigating the underworld and encountered countless shadowy organizations, this was the first time he'd heard that name.

"That's right."

Victoria took a deep breath, her slender fingers gently tracing the dark gold key, her eyes filled with complex emotions. "The Evernight Order."

"This organization's history goes back over a thousand years."

Victoria lowered her voice, as if afraid of being overheard by some unseen presence. "More than a millennium ago, nine French knights excavated a secret underground palace beneath the Temple Mount in Jerusalem—a palace that had been buried for centuries."

"Inside, they discovered the legendary scrolls left behind by King Solomon—scrolls containing the ultimate secrets to manipulating the world."

"Those nine knights became the founders of the famous Knights Templar."

Leo didn't interrupt. He simply listened in silence.

"But what few people know is that after two hundred years of glory, the Knights Templar were destroyed in 1307 by Pope Clement V and King Philip IV of France working together."

"That massacre became known as 'Black Friday.'"

Victoria's voice grew even darker. "However, the knights who were captured and burned at the stake were nothing but scapegoats. The core nine who truly possessed Solomon's secrets had vanished into the shadows of history long before the purge, taking with them infinite wealth and the sacred scrolls."

"This one-eyed raven represents Odin's 'all-seeing eye' in Norse mythology, symbolizing their omniscient, all-penetrating intelligence network. The crown of thorns wrapped around it represents absolute power stolen from the divine. The Evernight Order is the true uncrowned king of this continent!"

"They've been dormant underground for seven hundred years, secretly manipulating the rise and fall of European monarchies, wars and peace, and even the outbreak of both World Wars."

"This organization hiding behind the scenes is 'The Evernight Order.'"

Victoria raised her head, her bewitching eyes locked onto Leo. "The Rothschild family, the Valois family, the Gray Cloaks, the Nightfall organization... These giants you consider the pinnacle of Europe's underworld are nothing more than watchdogs they keep in the open."

"The true core of power lies with the nine 'Evernight Councilors' who inherited Solomon's secrets."

"They control the most massive wealth on this planet, the deadliest military forces, and even... certain mysterious powers that transcend the realm of science."

At this, Victoria looked at the key in Leo's hand. "And this key must belong to a trusted confidant of one of the Evernight Councilors. Mourner's position within The Evernight Order was far higher than we imagined."

After hearing Victoria's account, Leo fell silent for a moment.

He slowly drew on his cigar, his deep eyes showing not a ripple of concern—only a fierce arrogance that grew stronger with each battle.

"Solomon's secrets? Mysterious powers?"

A contemptuous smirk curved Leo's lips. "I don't care what they are. Anyone who stands in my way dies."

He pocketed the key again, his gaze locking onto Victoria. "Where are they? Do you have any intel on The Evernight Order's locations?"

Victoria shook her head, a flash of helplessness and apprehension crossing her eyes. "Leo, if I knew, I would've told you already."

"The Evernight Order has survived seven hundred years without being swallowed by history precisely because of their extreme secrecy."

"What I know is only pieced together from fragments of legends in the oldest intelligence networks of Europe's underworld."

"As for where their headquarters is, who the nine councilors are, what kind of power they wield..."

Victoria smiled bitterly. "I'm afraid only those who truly stand at the pinnacle of European power are qualified to touch that information."

Leo didn't press further.

He pulled an anonymous Swiss bank check from inside his coat, casually filled in a string of numbers, and tossed it on the table.

"Fifty million dollars."

Leo's tone was casual. "Payment for the intel."

Victoria glanced at the numbers on the check and smiled seductively. "Reaper, you're always so generous. But..."

She stood, her stilettos clicking as she swayed toward Leo with mesmerizing grace.

The wine-red bodycon dress clung to every curve of her figure like a work of art.

"I don't want cold, hard cash."

Victoria draped her arms over Leo's shoulders, her crimson lips brushing his ear. "You've been away from me for so long. Don't you miss me?"

Before she could finish.

Leo surged to his feet, his rough hands scooping Victoria up by the waist.

"Ah!"

Victoria cried out in surprise. Before she could react, Leo had hoisted her over his shoulder.

"Leo! What are you—"

"Didn't you want payment?"

A wicked curve touched Leo's lips as he strode purposefully toward the luxurious private room at the back of the bar. "Then I'll give you payment you'll never forget."

"You devil..."

Victoria's coquettish protest was cut short as the heavy door slammed shut.

In the dim lighting, the sound of tearing fabric and a woman's melodious, breathless cries soon echoed endlessly through the soundproof luxury suite...

Meanwhile.

Geneva, Switzerland.

The Gray Cloaks' temporary safe house.

"Bang!"

The heavy oak door was violently shoved open.

A blood-soaked Gray Cloaks intelligence agent stumbled inside, crawling and tumbling before collapsing on his knees in front of Wayne.

"Sir! Terrible news!"

The agent trembled all over, his voice filled with despair and terror. "Hamburg docks... The Nightfall organization has been completely wiped out! Mourner was killed on the spot by Reaper!"

"What?!"

Wayne, who had been seated in his leather chair, went white as a sheet.

He shot to his feet, grabbing the agent by the collar and roaring hoarsely. "What did you say?! Mourner is dead?! That's impossible! He's the leader of Nightfall! How could he..."

"It's true! Absolutely true!"

The agent wailed. "Our contacts in Hamburg sent word! The docks are littered with bodies! All the hundreds of Nightfall elites who went there were slaughtered!"

"Mourner's body is lying in the center of the dock—beaten to death by Leo!"

"No... impossible..."

Wayne shook violently, his aged face filled with incredulous horror.

The Nightfall organization was one of The Evernight Order's most powerful armed forces in the open!

Mourner had been hailed as the strongest assassin in Europe's underworld in the past twenty years!

And yet... that monster had killed him too?

"It's over... all over..."

Wayne's lips trembled, the light in his eyes visibly dimming.

"Cough... cough cough..."

He suddenly clutched his chest as a mouthful of blood sprayed from his mouth!

"Sir!"

The surrounding Gray Cloaks members rushed forward in alarm, trying to support him.

But Wayne couldn't hold on any longer.

Under the weight of extreme terror and despair, Wayne—who had controlled the Gray Cloaks for decades—rolled his eyes back and collapsed unconscious!

While the Gray Cloaks descended into chaos.

In another sealed room of the safe house.

Sawyer knelt before an encrypted video communication device, tears and snot streaming down his face.

On the screen was the cold, emotionless face of Louis Valois, current patriarch of the Valois family.

"Mr. Valois! Please save us!"

Sawyer sobbed like a child, kowtowing repeatedly. "My son was killed by that demon! The Gray Cloaks' commander is dead! The Nightfall organization has been completely annihilated!"

"That monster called Leo—he's the devil himself! He'll definitely come for us!"

"Please, for the sake of all the years the Rothschild family has served loyally, send The Evernight Order's forces to save us!"

Yet faced with Sawyer's wailing and pleading.

Louis's face showed not a trace of mercy—only endless coldness and disgust.

"Enough."

Louis cut off Sawyer's crying, his voice as cold as if it came from an ice cellar. "Sawyer, you worthless fools have no more value to us."

"...What?" Sawyer's eyes widened.

"The Rothschild family, as of today, is removed from The Evernight Order."

Louis said expressionlessly. "The wealth you've accumulated over the years will be collected by my people. As for you all... whether you live or die, I don't care."

"No! Don't! Mr. Valois!"

Sawyer screamed shrilly, desperately reaching for the screen. "Our family has served The Evernight Order for over a hundred years! You can't do this to us! You can't..."

Louis cut the transmission without hesitation.

The screen went black instantly.

Only Sawyer's desperate wails remained, echoing through the empty sealed room.