Aris wanted to test the synthesis box to see if he could synthesize ordinary things in order to obtain a magical item, but this matter was very difficult.
He muttered as he looked at the box with heavy eyes:
"It seems that my idea is feasible… but in order to obtain a magical item of the white grade I need no less than a hundred knives."
In this world, items are divided into several grades:
White, Black, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Black Gold, Diamond, and finally Legendary.
Legendary items are the strongest ranks, such as the Shadow Necklace and the synthesis box that Aris owns.
Naturally, this is not the maximum, for there are higher ranks… but Aris had never seen them before.
Dawn had begun to break, and the sky slowly turned into gray and pink shades, while Aris was still sitting in front of the synthesis box. He had not yet finished the fusion process, not because he had a huge number of knives, but because he only possessed eleven knives, in addition to an old black dagger.
The box in front of him was black, resembling a wooden chest as if made by a demon, distinguished by two shapes: one like a mouth that devours, and the other an outlet that spits out. After activating it, strange engravings appeared glowing with threads of blue and yellow light. Every time he placed a knife inside from the devouring mouth, the box trembled slightly, emitting a low buzz like the groan of the earth itself. Sometimes cold white steam with a sharp metallic smell leaked from its cracks, and sometimes small sparks flashed and disappeared instantly, before being spat out from the other mouth.
Fatigue was evident in his movement as he slowly stretched his hand, placing the knives one after another into the box. The reason for the slowness of the process was that the synthesis box used the mana of heaven and earth in its work, making it feel as if the surrounding air suddenly grew heavy, and the calm winds stopped moving for a moment with each flash of light emitted from it.
His heart trembled for a moment when he saw the box glow in a dark purple color, before dimming slowly as if nothing had happened. He sighed deeply, wiped the sweat off his trembling forehead with his hand, and closed his eyes:
"I think this will take a long time…"
Aris was feeling sleepy, after all he was just an ordinary human of flesh and blood who had not yet entered the path of exception.
The sun rose quietly and the city began to stir, like a giant beast that had been slumbering and now awakened. The sounds of vendors, footsteps, and the smell of fresh bread, sweat, and smoke mixed together, forcing Aris to endure staying awake.
At ten in the morning, the sun was high in the sky spreading its light and heat gradually. Aris had finished the synthesis and was left only with the dagger he obtained from the fusion. Its blade was so sharp that it could cut meat easily, like a hot knife slicing through butter, and on the other side lay the black dagger.
"Finally, I can sleep after placing them in the synthesis box."
Aris noticed that the stronger the item he synthesized, the longer the process took. Therefore he decided to place both daggers into the box and went to sleep. Before dozing off, he made sure the processes were going smoothly, then shut the window and door tightly. As soon as his head touched the pillow, he fell asleep instantly.
But at that moment, something strange happened in the adjacent room where the synthesis box was. Black light radiated from it and dark smoke spread, covering the entire room until it drowned in suffocating darkness. Strangely, this dark smoke or black light did not leave the room, but was confined within its walls.
Suddenly, thick black light burst out of the box, and it spat out a black dagger that had not changed much in shape, its handle still wrapped in animal leather strips, but what distinguished it was a small bat skull at its end. Its color deepened into blacker shades, and it began to emit a faint yet dangerous aura, to the point that the air around it grew heavy and its scent resembled burnt ash.
The dark smoke slowly receded back into the box, as did the black light, until nothing remained in the room except that dagger, glowing with a faint but terrifying aura.
The sun rose higher and time followed, until it became five in the evening. Aris woke up from his sleep, feeling that the fatigue had gone and had been replaced by a strong hunger.
He went straight to the kitchen, took out a piece of brown bread and a piece of dried meat, and devoured them quickly.
"Honestly, I could never get used to the taste of brown bread and dried meat…"
Even though Aris did not like eating them, he had nothing better. Once he ate, his hunger disappeared.
"The synthesis process must have ended."
Aris went up to the second floor, his footsteps echoing alone in the empty house. When he entered the room, he felt a vague danger.
Quickly, he took a defensive stance, his eyes scanning the place cautiously. There was nothing… except for a black dagger lying on the table, illuminated by a ray of sunlight through a crack in the window.
"Is this dagger the source of danger?"
Aris could not understand why he felt that way, after all it was just an ordinary dagger… wasn't it?
He picked up the dagger and looked at its black blade.
"Strange… I feel it has become darker than before."
Immediately Aris activated "King's Eye":
Aris's breathing quickened as he read the information displayed by "King's Eye," and his eyes widened in shock.
"This… this is truly unexpected! I never imagined this dagger had such a power or such a past!"
Aris felt joy and excitement, for you must know that this dagger possessed the "growth" attribute, which meant it could reach the legendary grade or even surpass it. Just the thought of that made his breathing heavy and his heart race quickly.
"This dagger will be the perfect tool for assassination and combat…"
You must know that in this world there are many strange things related to souls, such as the "Calamity of Death," "Soul Cards," the rebirth of souls through mysterious arts, and even the summoning of the dead to obtain information.
And the methods of eliminating souls were few, usually in the hands of temples only. But now Aris had in his possession a tool capable of destroying souls completely, which meant protecting himself and hiding his existence to avoid trouble.
"I think I should take a tour before carrying out my plan."
Aris decided to go out and wander to gather information about the two gangs: "Brown Bear" and "Black Serpent," and their number of members.
Although he had memories about their locations, he needed wider knowledge, especially since their whereabouts were only revealed during the terrorist attack on Heart City, which would occur two years later…
Aris did not wait long, but changed his clothes immediately. He wore a black long-sleeved shirt with a high collar, tight black trousers, and shiny leather shoes that gleamed faintly with the last remnants of sunset. Then he put on a long black cloak, covering his head, and wrapped a black scarf around half his face until only his cold eyes gleaming in the dark were visible.
The sun tilted toward the horizon, and the city's activity gradually faded. Some vendors were hurriedly gathering their goods, others closing their heavy shops with the sounds of iron sliding. The inhabitants returned to their homes with hurried footsteps, and the workshops of blacksmiths shut their doors after smoke and sparks had filled the air with the scent of burnt iron. On the other hand, mercenaries headed to taverns, their loud laughter fading little by little as the shadows spread across the streets.
Amidst these roads, Aris moved along the walls stained by the last rays of sunset. His steps made no sound, as if his body never touched the ground, as though he was a shadow blending with the shadows of the crumbling buildings. No one noticed his presence as he slipped by, and with lightness he suddenly changed direction and entered narrow alleys drowned in darkness.
Aris's target was the "Brown Bear" gang, for it was the closest and the least in number. As time passed, the sun vanished completely, and the darkness spread until the moon was covered by heavy black clouds. The air was damp, sending coldness into the bones, reeking of mold and moisture from the walls of the old alleys.
Aris stood atop one of the houses, hidden in the shadow of a chimney, where the smoke of coal mingled with the smell of cold ash. His gaze was fixed on a large four-story house, lit by scattered torches at the entrances. Many guards were spread around it, some stationed at watchpoints with stern faces, others roaming in regular patrols, their rusty weapons reflecting the faint glow of fire.
Aris smiled faintly behind the scarf and whispered to himself:
"It seems there will be no fighting between them tonight… let's begin."
In a moment, Aris slid lightly from the rooftop, like a cat landing without a sound. He approached two guards standing side by side on watch. Suddenly, he appeared behind one of them, his hand like a phantom's, gripping his head tightly, twisting it swiftly until the sound of bones cracking was heard, his body instantly going limp. Before the other guard could turn or scream, the Dagger of the Night gleamed in Aris's hand, and with a swift motion slit his throat, hot blood gushing over his chest, its sharp metallic scent mixing with the cold night air.