Dead in the night.
A blurred shadow moves through the forest, dense Qi waves flowing out of a seemingly 'alive' robe.
All the preparations are ready.
''What a beautiful night.''
I'm sure you will agree, Elder of the Xu family.
I say as my eyes scan the surroundings, my cloak perfectly blending me into the darkness of the night.
Come to think of it, I've been smiling a lot these days, haven't I?
My hand now pressed on my lips, as if searching for something.
''Yeah, it's that damn smile again.''
Am I happy? No...
But...
''I'm getting close.''
I say as I enter the city, moving through one alley to the other, my steps soundless and precise.
With all the patrol routes memorized, the trip to the Xu outpost is effortless.
As I get closer, I begin to focus on the Silent Pulse Breathing technique, my presence completely gone from this world.
One... two... three guards surrounding the front gate. Two of them in Qi Gathering, and what appears to be their superior officer is in the middle stages of Foundation Establishment.
This is tricky. Killing them is simple, but if I kill their officer, there's no justification for me when I 'fail' my assassination, when the target is in late stages of Qi Gathering.
So I wait.
I keep waiting...
The moment that allows me to slip inside.
...
But that moment doesn't come.
''It's never that easy, huh.''
Fine.
I have two options.
First, I distract them and run in... the whole attempt in this case must be quick. If I can't find the target, the plan is ruined.
Second, I kill them. But I need to get hurt in the process. If I'm fine and healthy during a 'failed' assassination, it will be suspicious.
Sigh.
Second it is.
Shadowless Step.
I rush behind the first guard, twist his blade free, and slit his throat before his body hits the dirt.
SPLURT!
The second turns to shout, but my dagger finds the roof of his mouth sooner.
[You've gained 2 points of Fear.]
Both of them fall lifelessly to the ground in perfect sync.
The officer freezes for half a breath, giving me enough time to close the distance.
My hand grips his throat. He claws at my hand, feet kicking against the dirt.
[You've gained 2 points of Fear.]
I loosen my grip just enough to give him a chance to draw his sword.
His blade slashes across my chest, opening a deep, gushing wound.
Pain blurs my vision for a split second, but I smile through it.
''Now they'll believe I failed…''
His eyes widen, horror flooding in as he accepts his impending death.
''Y-you… devil…''
I press the tip of his own sword against his throat, the steel reflecting the corpses on the ground.
''It's nothing personal.''
[You've gained 5 points of Fear.]
The blade slides through in one steady push. He gurgles once, then collapses into the dirt.
''The system's just greedy.''
With my hand gripping the wound, I make my way to the outpost.
''Time to almost kill you, Elder.''
.
.
.
[STATUS]
[Name: Han Ye]
[Age: 18]
[Cultivation: Terror Manifestation Realm - Early Stage ▸ Foundation establishment - Early Stage▸ +]
[Fear Points: 25]
[Fear Points needed for the next stage: 1500]
[Techniques: Shadowless Step, Thousand Faces Arts (incomplete), Silent Pulse Breathing]
Authors note: If you're enjoying the novel so far, please add it to your collections! Every single one goes a long way. Honest review will be Great too!
Powerstones: If we can reach 70 power stones in a week, I will make one more chapter a day for 1 week. Let's do it!