The smell of blood spread through the alley, mingling with a foul, putrid stench that induced nausea. Aries looked at two corpses with cold eyes shining a dark purple. He felt nothing, having grown accustomed to killing long ago in his previous life, to the point that his hands, stained with so much blood, had turned a permanent dark red.
Aries remembered the first time he had killed a human in his previous life. That day, his body trembled, and he felt disgusted with himself, a deep fear that he might become a heartless killer. But over time, his hand became steadier, and his soul grew harder. Eventually, he killed only to survive; if he didn't kill, he would have been the one dead.
He didn't allow himself to dwell long in memories. Quickly, he dragged the two corpses to a dark corner and hid them, then wiped his bloodied hands on his tattered jacket and moved lightly toward the other guards.
He whispered in a low voice, counting with focus, his eyes scanning the area like a stalking wolf:
"Ten guards in the patrol… they form five pairs. Two are gone, eight remain."
The patrol areas were divided precisely: north, east, south, and west. Since Aries was in the south, he moved lightly through the dark alleys, his feet barely touching the ground, like a cat slipping through the shadows without making a sound.
He quickly spotted two more guards at a corner of the street. With his agile body, he suddenly sprang between them. One guard noticed his shadow forming under the faint moonlight, but before he could scream, Aries's hand had already moved.
The Night Dagger in his grip struck like a reaper of souls, slicing the first guard's throat with a sharp thrust, then immediately lunged at the second. The latter tried to draw his sword, but a thin red line traced his neck before his voice was forever silenced.
The two bodies fell to the ground with a muffled thud, their wide-open eyes filled with fear and an incomplete desire to survive.
Aries cast a cold glance at the corpses, then at his blood-soaked hands and the Night Dagger, now dyed crimson.
The assassination didn't take more than ten seconds, but he knew: if they had been fully alert, he would have needed the "Shadow Pendant" to ensure victory.
Although they were mere ordinary humans who hadn't unleashed their auras yet, their physical strength exceeded his current body.
The pungent smell of blood filled the area, mixed with the damp and moldy scent of the narrow alleys.
He muttered coldly, his eyes glowing like embers in the dark:
"Four down… six remain. I must hurry."
With steady steps, he hid the corpses and melted back into the shadows. He had only ten minutes before the patrol team would return to headquarters to check on the situation.
Within five minutes, he managed to eliminate all the guards, one by one, thanks to his long experience in stealth and assassination. The task seemed as easy as breathing to him.
Aries stood in a dark alley, his breaths steady, his eyes fixed on a large building made of rough brown bricks, contemplating a plan to finish things quickly.
"I think I should start from the top down… that's how an assassination should be perfect."
He had always been asked in his previous life: what is the perfect assassination?
His answer was always simple:
"To eliminate all witnesses."
Many did not understand his answer. Assassins usually considered a perfect assassination to be killing the target without revealing their identity. But for him, leaving no trace or witness at all was key.
A strong wind blew, rustling some tattered curtains in the windows, as Aries vanished from his spot, appearing in an instant on the roof of a neighboring house near the headquarters of the "Brown Bear" gang, a four-story building.
He muttered coldly, his voice blending with the whistling wind:
"Climbing this building will be annoying."
He approached the wall, ran his rough fingers over the bricks until he found an uneven one suitable for climbing. He smiled sarcastically, muttering:
"It's good I paid attention to that chatterbox."
Among the "Twelve" operatives, there was a famous assassin, skilled but talkative compared to the others. She was very close to him, almost like his shadow. Rian wanted to include her in his team, but she nearly cut his penis.
Aries always took advantage of others' chatter, using their boasting to fuel his knowledge and enhance his skills.
He planted his feet firmly, pressed against the cold wall, and began climbing. His muscles tensed with every movement, his breathing synchronized with his steps. He counted the seconds precisely until, after three minutes, he reached the balcony of the fourth floor.
Through the glass door, he glimpsed the gang leader's room. It was lit by an oil lamp casting a dim yellow glow on walls painted a pale golden hue, adorned with luxurious paintings. Shelves of books lined the walls, though purely decorative. In the center lay a large rug made of brown bear hide.
But what caught his attention most was the large bed. On it lay a bulky man, his belly so protruding that Aries could sit on him cross-legged. Beside him were three naked women, covered only by a thin blanket.
Aries smiled with contempt, whispering:
"Seems he knows how to enjoy himself."
The leader of the "Brown Bear" gang squandered the gang's wealth on women and pleasures, instead of training an heir or strengthening his power, while the "Black Serpent" gang lurked nearby.
He muttered sarcastically, staring at him:
"In my previous life… this pig was eliminated quickly, and the Black Serpent gang swallowed his territory completely."
He didn't linger. He activated the "Shadow Pendant," his body gradually melting into darkness.
He had only three minutes before his physical energy would be exhausted, as the absence of his aura forced the pendant to drain his body's endurance directly.
He opened the door lightly, stepped toward the bed, and in one swift motion slit the leader's throat, then did the same with the three women. He didn't care about their innocence; merely being beside him was enough for him to pass judgment.
The white pillows turned crimson, and the heavy scent of blood filled the closed room.
He continued to the third floor, where the leader's deputies resided. He found them with women as well. He didn't hesitate, cutting their throats without mercy. Then he descended to the second floor, where the five team leaders were enjoying other women. The methods of killing varied: slit throats, stabs to the heart, or daggers pierced through the forehead.
On the first floor, where the tavern served cheap food and drink to lower-ranking members, fifty men lay scattered asleep on tables and floors.
He whispered coldly, his voice icy:
"One minute thirty seconds left… I must end everyone's life in this time."
He moved like a harvesting machine, his steps steady, his strikes precise. The scent of blood mixed with the stench of sweaty bodies, cheap alcohol, and damp walls. At the moment some of them opened their eyes halfway, their souls had already departed.
The floor was drenched in blood, shattered skulls scattered around, as if the place had turned into a living hell.
In the end, Aries appeared as Ashura, a warlord who had created this massacre.
He whispered coldly, his eyes devoid of any mercy:
"Two guards remain at the door… I'll finish them and leave."
Outside, the two guards stood yawning, their eyes half-closed.
The first one said lazily, rubbing his eyes:
"Man, I'm sleepy… hasn't the patrol ended yet?"
The second replied in a dull tone, stretching his arms:
"Shut up, only a few seconds remain."
The first laughed wickedly, licking his lips:
"Good… I want to go to a brothel to rest."
The other sighed:
"Heh, I want that too… enough that the leader and his brothers and deputies enjoy the women alone."
As they spoke, a dense shadow gradually formed behind them. From the darkness, Aries emerged, his hands dripping with hot blood.
In a swift move, he drove his dagger into the first man's back, hitting his heart directly.
The man screamed in pain:
"Aaaah!"
Before he could finish, Aries pulled out his dagger and threw it straight into the eye of the other, penetrating the brain, instantly taking his life. The last man's eyes widened in extreme fear before they went dark.
The heavy scent of blood filled the entire area, and with the night breeze, it began spreading throughout the district, announcing a silent massacre.
Aries lowered the mask from his face, revealing skin slightly pale from the consumption of his endurance.
He muttered, exhaling:
"Finally… it's over. I must gather the loot and leave."
Despite the exhaustion, Aries's speed in collecting the loot didn't decrease, and perhaps was even faster than the pace of his assassinations. He left nothing behind; he began with food, water, and various kinds of alcohol that would require a long trip to transport home, then carefully collected weapons, books, and oil lamps. The most important loot was the money: 500 gold coins, 1,000 silver coins, jewelry, rings, and a golden necklace.
It took half an hour of the night to gather all valuables from the "Brown Bear" gang's buildings. He also obtained a set of underground tunnel maps, letters, and accounting ledgers, which he planned to study slowly later, hoping to find something useful.
Before leaving, he carefully marked "X" signs in blood on the walls and hung the gang leader's corpse from the balcony with a tightly secured rope, serving as a warning and symbol of the massacre that had occurred.