At 11 pm, after leaving his cellphone at home, Eli exited his house, already veiled by his cloak and using the ring. After he made sure nobody was in the corridor outside, he locked his door and went on his way.

Checking his quest, he saw a button inside it.

[Track quest objective.]

Curious, he pressed the button.

[Now tracking quest objective.]

Following the prompt, he suddenly saw a trail of light on the ground, like the one you would see when using the clairvoyance spell in Skyrim.

Eli couldn't help but joke to himself, "Great. Now I only need to learn how to Fus-Ro-Dah people to death to be called Dovahkiin."

Eli started following the trail, going down the stairs. As he walked some distance, he saw Dick, his annoying, creepy, deadbeat neighbor. He was currently leaning on the wall of the building, drinking some hot beverage from a paper cup while playing with his phone, wearing a strange grin only men knew.

Eli smirked, a perfect target to test his new items. Walking to him, he called out, "Hey, Dick! You so ugly your mother breastfed you through a straw!"

Dick, as if he did not hear a word, continued leisurely playing with his phone.

Eli mused, "I see, so he can't hear me, hah? Let's try something else..."

Approaching behind him, Eli tapped on his shoulder, jolting him. Turning around, Dick didn't see anything.

"Eh... I must be imagining things..."

He then returned to his phone, completely unaware of Eli behind him.

Eli mused to himself, "Hah, so he can feel direct contact. Good to know. Hm... I wonder what he's doing on his phone, anyways."

With a curious gaze, he checked from behind Dick what he was doing on his phone. When he saw it, Eli made a funny face. Dick was currently sexting with a girl, and she was sending him nudes. If Eli had to rate her, she would probably be an 8, the sexy bombshell type.

Eli muttered to himself, "Never judge a book by its cover."

Before departing, Eli made sure to give Dick a good kick straight to the buttocks for the sole reason that he was an annoying dick.

Upon receiving the kick, Dick jumped forward in shock, spilling his hot drink on his pants, causing him to yell and curse.

"Fuck! Who kicked me?!" Turning around sharply, he saw nobody. Looking at the blank space in front of him, he got angry and grumbled. He was convinced it was the prank of some teenagers.

"Fucking punks... Now my pants are wet."

While grumbling to himself, he went back upstairs to change his pants. He did not notice Eli, who was chuckling to himself like a little kid, prank succeeding.

"Serves you right, fucking dick."

With that, Eli went on his way, a cheerful bounce in his step.

As he walked through the streets, the pedestrians ignored his existence. The usual street hookers, who tried to solicit him, all but ignored him. A friendly man with a heavy coat and shifty eyes, probably a drug dealer, did not notice him passing by. As he walked through an alley, a hooker was currently sucking off a customer, but they both ignored him.

While all of this might sound fun and dandy, there were downsides as well. He had to avoid the pedestrians and bicycle riders on the sidewalk. When he crossed the road, he almost got run over by a car. Most of all, however, he felt lonely, as if he was disconnected from reality.

He sighed and comforted himself, "Oh well, good and bad things come together, I guess."

Continuing to walk in the direction of the light trail, he wondered to himself, "Isn't this kind of unfair for Gavin? I mean, sure, he is a bad man but isn't the system being biased here? This is literally helping in a death sentence."

{Not quite.}

Asmodeus answered him promptly. As if it was listening to him the entire time. Eli was not startled this time, however. Instead, he asked, "Why?"

{Simple. This quest was issued by a god, me, and a powerful god at that. Unless that Gavin is a favored believer of a god who is equally as strong or stronger than I, possesses a powerful relic capable of obscuring augury, or has the skill to block augury, then he is as vulnerable as a babe.}

After he thought about those words, Eli couldn't help but ask, "So, it's basically a fight between who has the better backing?"

{You could say that. You, however, do not need to worry about such things. Saturn is obscuring you from all augury attempts. I only managed to find you through Saturn, and I am the only one capable of it in the whole of existence, I assure you that.}

Eli got interested in what the god said, "Only you? What do you mean by that?"

{I meant what I meant. Ask Saturn, not me.}

And with that, the voice went silent again. Eli sighed to himself and pressed forward. After walking for about 10 minutes, he arrived in front of a strip club, the light trail leading inside. Feeling a bit hungry, he took out a sandwich from his inventory and started eating it as he went inside, right past a bouncer guarding the open entrance.

Loud music greeted his ears, skimpily dressed waitresses walking between crowds of men sitting on sofas. Some of them were flirting with strippers, others receiving a striptease. The rest were either chatting or watching the stage, where a dancer was performing a hot and almost naked dance on a pole.

Looking at the dancer on the stage, Eli felt the dancer looked familiar. Suddenly, his mind clicked, recognizing the woman. She was one of his classmates in junior high school and was the prettiest girl in his age group, the queen of the class, a solid 8. He even once had a crush on her. Now, she was reduced to a dancer spreading her legs to crowds of men for a bit of income.

Shaking his head, he couldn't help but lament, "You never know where life might lead you. I guess she drew the short end of the stick."

Just then, the voice of Asmodeus sounded in his mind with a lewd laugh, {It is here where you are wrong, hehe.}

Raising an eyebrow, he asked, "What do you mean by that?"

{What I mean is, is that she is not doing this solely for money... She is enjoying herself!}

Eli was shocked, "...What?"

{You are unexpectedly naive. Perhaps you and many of the patrons here might not realize it, but she is enjoying herself. Sexually. She does not lack money, is not forced, nor is she addicted to drugs. She sincerely likes to bare her body in public. A pervert, an exhibitionist. That is who she is.}

Eli asked with suspicion while staring at the dancer, "How do you know?"

Asmodeus seemed to scoff, offended by his question,{Bah, questioning the aspect of lust itself about the lust and kinks of some lowly unevolved human. That is the same as asking the shepherd why the sheep graze. If you really want proof, look at her crotch. She is drenched and ready to be bred.}

Eli got close to the stage and stared at the dancer's crotch. Indeed, she was drenched, her panties were soaked, and a transparent liquid was dripping down her leg onto the stage floor. At the same time, he took a closer look at the woman.

She was a redhead around Eli's age and was on the tall side, as tall as Eli. She had an hourglass figure, possessing large assets on her front and behind, and her white skin had few flaws. Her oval head had long ginger hair flowing down her back. Her high cheekbones and smallish pointy nose, luscious lips, and her two gold exotic earings drew him in. With only wearing panties and high heels, she was truly a seductress.

Eli audibly gulped, his member erect and lips dry. Watching this bombshell doing a striptease dance was indeed too stimulating for a virgin like him. Especially now since he didn't masturbate for over a month.

As if sensing his increasing lust, Asmodeus giggled and continued, like a merchant showcasing merchandise, {This fine specimen is completely natural, with no artificial transplants. She has no STD, is single, and she has only ever slept with one man in her life during high school. Incredibly rare in strippers, I would say.}

With the same parched lips, he asked, a bit blamingly, "Why are you telling me this?"

Asmudeos giggled some more, her small bait being taken, and told him more sweet poison, {I can teach you how to seduce this girl, and she will be yours for the taking. It will be as easy as taking candy from a baby.}

Gritting his teeth, Eli asked, "What's the catch? Nothing is free in this world."

{I already know that you don't want to torture Gavin. So I decided to give you an additional incentive. If you torture Gavin well enough, I will reward you with how to get laid with this girl as a bonus to what I originally planned on giving you.}

She was right. He originally didn't want to torture Gavin. He just wanted to give him a clean death. However, the promised lay in front of him shook his original plan a bit, as he was but a man. The thought of losing his virginity with such a stunner was tempting, to say the least. After hesitating for a bit, he shook his head.

"No, as horrible Gavin is, I don't want to torture him. Even if I miss out on rewards or such a good lay."

Asmodeus did not sound discouraged, {That is what you say now. But when you learn about what he is about to discuss in a few minutes, you will quickly change your mind. I assure you that.}

After saying that, Asmodeus cut the connection and went silent. Eli cast one more glance at the dancer on the stage and then left. The thing Asmodeus told him just now bothered him, and he wanted to know just what Gavin is going to discuss.

Following the trail of light, while avoiding patrons and waitresses, Eli reached a staircase. After going up the stairs, Eli saw a closed door that said VIP. Narrowing his eyes at the door, he asked himself, "Should I wait for someone to open the door or do it myself?"

His musing didn't last long, however, as a waitress came up the stairs. While holding a tray, she opened the door to the room, allowing Eli to slip in.

Inside the room, Eli saw Gavin, who was sitting on a comfortable-looking sofa. Gavin, on the other hand, seemed restless, as if he was sitting on needles. In front of him sat a Sicilian man in his 50s, who looked similar to Gavin.

The waitress came to a table between the two men and placed down the tray, "Here you go, sirs, one Dry martini, and one Sex on the beach."

As she said that, she couldn't help but glance at the older man with a mixture of fear and respect. The man was a high-ranking member of the surviving Sicilian La Cosa Nostra. The de facto leader of organized crime in Louisiana even today. Although their control of the streets was low nowadays, they were the main providers of drugs. Also, that was just their side business. Their real business was controlling New Orleans from behind the scenes. The mayor was one of their men, the police were under their thumbs, and they owned large amounts of land after hurricane Katrina, successfully becoming local economic moguls.

No sane street gang ever dares challenge them, even the cruel Mexican cartels. In fact, they follow their orders like lapdogs in these parts. However, in the clubs that they control directly, like this one, no violence ever happens. The girls are well protected, and the pay was good. That was all they needed, and that was why the waitress respected the man, as well as feared him.

She asked while maintaining the best polite smile she could squeeze, "Would you like anything else, sir?"

The older man looked at Gavin and asked, "Would you like anything else, Gavin?"

Gavin shook his head, "No thanks, I'm good, uncle."

The older man dismissed the waitress, leaving the room alone with an uncle and nephew duo, along with an invisible uninvited guest.

The older man took his dry martini and swirled it a bit before taking a sip and then asked Gavin in a Cajun accent, blame clear in his voice, "So, Gavin, how have you been? We haven't met since last year. When was it again? In my sister's funeral, where you have not shed a single tear, inheriting her and your deceased father's entire assets? Or was it when you begged me for a managerial job in our real-estate company? I do not recall you even inviting me to your wedding."

The older man eyed the gold ring on Gavin's ring finger and then shot several questions, "So, how is it being married? Is your wife ok? Do I at least get to have a grandnephew soon? I am curious."

Gavin gritted his teeth. His uncle's sharp words felt like knives in his gut. With clenched teeth, he was barely able to say, "She left me."

The older man paused, staring at his dear nephew, "She left you? Do tell, what happened?"

Gavin didn't plan on lying to his uncle about this, so he spilled the truth. After he heard about what happened from Gavin's mouth, the uncle didn't say anything. He just sat there, drinking his martini. When he finished, he said to Gavin in a cold voice, "Stand up!"

Gavin didn't dare to delay and stood up, 1.9m tall and musclebound. The uncle also stood up, even taller than Gavin, standing at 1.95m in height, and even in his 50s, was just as muscular as Gavin. Suddenly, the uncle clenched his hand to a fist and punched Gavin hard in his stomach.

Cough* Cough*

Gavin keeled over, clutching his stomach. Never in his life did his uncle hit him, and it hurt. Badly. His uncle used to also be a boxer as a hubby, and while he wasn't as strong as in his youth, he was, by all means, a hard hitter. Gavin didn't dare retaliate

Eli, who saw that, was also stunned, "The uncle hit the nephew so brutally, holy shit. I like that guy already."

The uncle sat back down on his chair and said with clear disappointment in his voice, "That was for your wife. If your mother or father ever heard of you doing something like that, disinheriting you would be a light punishment. I think I told you numerous times, never abuse your wife. Your wife is your haven, your shelter from the cruel world, your asylum. She is supposed to be the person you trust and care for, the one with who you raise your family. The one with who you can share your secrets. The one you grow old with. What did you do? You abused her in so many ways in just three fucking months into the marriage. Your parents must be turning in their grave right now."

While Gavin kept his silence, rubbing his sore stomach, the uncle asked, "So why did you come? You didn't come here for a confession, did you?"

Gavin said with gritted teeth, "I want to 'off' her."

The uncle stared at his nephew, "To avoid jail and distribution of assets, right? I honestly think that this is a fair thing. Maybe you will grow up in jail. Besides. Offing people is bad for business."

Gavin almost begged, "Please, uncle! I don't want to go to jail! I don't want to lose half my property!"

The uncle took a long, deep breath and looked at his revolting disappointment of a nephew, saying with utmost resolution, "No."

Gavin was stunned, "What do you mean no? I'm your nephew! If you don't help me, Ill rot in prison!"

The uncle looked pissed and scolded, "Do you think you're still five? Do you think I'll still wipe your ass when you screw up? Grow up a pair! Your a grown man, not a snot-nosed kid. Take responsibility for your own actions. If you behave well in prison, I can pull some connections to get you protection in prison, I will fund your education while you're in prison, and I will even arrange an early release through some connections in just 2-3 years. I will even let you continue working in the company when you return. Isn't that enough? Aren't I the best uncle ever? I don't think other uncles will go to such lengths for their nephews."

Gavin said, with teeth clenched, "And if I don't want prison?"

"Then your only option is to beg your wife for forgiveness to drop the felony charges and give her a bigger settlement. If you beg well enough, she might even agree, only because of how pathetic you look."

Then the uncle pointed to the door, "Now get out of my joint, you small-dicked two-pump chump. You're dirtying my place with your shitty presence."

Gavin stood up and stormed out of the room while Eli followed like a ghost behind. The uncle, who was left alone, pressed a button next to his chair and said, "Bring me a bottle of whiskey... And a willing dancer.". He really needed to let out some steam tonight after the shit he went through.

 

 

While Gavin was storming out, bumping into patrons and waitresses callously, Eli followed him through the trail he left, a deadly glint in his eyes.

Eli said in anger, "No wonder Asmodeus was so sure I will torture him. He actually wants to kill Trinity. And from the looks of it, he probably won't listen to his uncle and will try and find other ways to kill her."

Eli continued following where Gavin was walking to. It appeared that Gavin didn't use a car to get to the club, simply walking instead. In just fifteen minutes, they arrived in a villa area.

Gavin approached a modern-looking two-story-tall villa, unlocked the gate, and entered, Eli following closely. After Gavin opened the main door and entered and Eli quickly entered as the door close behind him.

Looking around, Eli was impressed. Wooden parquet, light green walls, some paintings, and pictures, modern furniture, a nice living room and kitchen, a large smart tv, what appeared to be a staircase to both a basement and the second floor... From what he saw outside, they even had a swimming pool.

"This is a really good house. Really stylish too. It's much better than my old house. Too bad the owner is a violent and narcissistic asshole."

He then looked at a picture of their wedding. In it, Trinity looked genuinely happy, and she looked prettier than ever. However, the face in the picture soon crossed with the face of the beaten-up woman living with him, causing his anger to bubble up.

Swallowing his anger, he went and followed Gavin, who was now going upstairs. Upon reaching a door that looked like a master bedroom, Gavin pushed the door open forcefully, not even bothering to close it.

As Eli entered the room, Gavin started to mutter out loud as he started removing his clothing, "I don't need my fucking uncle to kill that bitch. I can hire a killer with the available cash I have through a middle-man. Maybe I will also add that annoying ex of hers, too! She must be fucking him right now, the whore."

When Eli heard him saying this, his eyes darkened. Now, the fucker also wanted to kill him, too. It is personal now. Looking around the room, he saw a small bronze statue. It wasn't too small or large, just at the right size to hold and swing with one hand.

Suddenly, Asmodeus said in his mind, {Wait. You might kill him that way. Don't give him such a clean death.}

Eli grumbled, "Then how am I supposed to knock him out? He's a 1.9m tall giant, and I don't know kung-fu."

{Yes, but he is a completely unevolved human, an incredibly susceptible target to you. You can use a simple stun spell to knock him out.}

Eli frowned, "A spell? I barely know how to manipulate mana, let alone a spell. Also, I would need to disable the invisibility cloak, as the evidence ring is a must."

{I will graft a simple cantrip to your mind. Since you are a total novice, I will remove all the parameters from the cantrip. It will become a set spell, a spell that you cannot manipulate. Since I can only sense time attunement in you, I shall give you a time perception stop spell. It will stop his perception of time, effectively stopping his ability to think and move for a duration. Here, this might sting a bit.}

Without asking his permission, Asmodeus suddenly transferred a lump of knowledge to Eli's mind. After a stinging pain that lasted a few seconds, Eli found in his mind a circle composed of many gibberish letters. Inside it, there were a few lines and circles here and there, giving it a very occultic feel.

Eli was stunned, "That is a spell?"

{A spell circle. However, it is but a parlor trick, a cantrip. It is the most inflexible spell possible, and it only allows inputting mana into it and then activating it. The one I configured for you when activated casts the time perception stop state on the target through your left hand. The effect should last 30 minutes, more than enough to tie him up. Note that you will need to touch your target to do this.}

Eli hesitated, "Is this safe for me to use? What happens if I touch myself when I use it?"

Asmodeus laughed and then said, {No need to feel threatened by such a low-level spell. Unlike Gavin, you have a mana core, thus have resistance to the spell. Also, you have a perfect time attunement, further increasing your resistance. Under both these conditions, the effect of the spell will barely last a second on you before stopping.}

Eli looked at Gavin, who was now down to his whites and was now removing his socks, "Is this house monitored? I don't want to risk myself getting caught on camera."

{Hmph. Only the entrances are monitored. The rest isn't. He was afraid that he's beating his wife would be taped and then used against him at court.}

Eli snorted, "And that would be his downfall, I guess."

Looking at Gavin, who was now removing his tank top and had his back to him, Eli willed his connection to the cloak to get canceled. Using the freed-up mana string, he directed it to the new magic circle in his mind, making it shine dimly and soundlessly along with his left hand. He almost instinctively knew that as long as he touched a living entity, the spell would activate.

Eli took a step forward, and with that, a tapping sound sounded on the floor.

Gavin, who was now taking off his underwear, getting ready to go and take a shower, suddenly got startled by the sound, "Hah?!"

However, it was too late. Before he could even turn around, a hand touched his back, and with that, his thought process stopped.

Eli, on the other hand, felt a bit sapped. This spell cost him 10% of his total mana reserves. As his mana was only at 25% currently, it was now down to 15%.

Looking at Gavin, now frozen while midway taking off his underwear, he was about to start dragging him when his eyes landed on his now-revealed nether region, revealing a pecker the size of half of a pinky finger.

Eli gloated, "Hah, I guess he really is small."

{Yep, only 9.1 cm long when fully erect and a premature ejaculator, and he is self-conscious about it. One of the reasons he beat up his wife. I suggest you drag the bastard to the basement. There is a sound-isolated bomb shelter there, as well as a chair and rope. He even keeps some tools there.}

"Sounds good to me."

And then he started dragging Gavin.