In the dark alley, Alrich makes his way to where the slums are situated. It’s in the northern section of the capital with guards are keeping any of its citizens away from the ugly side of this kingdom. The guards only patrol the outskirts of the slums to stop anyone from leaving the slums or entering it.
The muddy soil is clinging to Alrich’s shoes as the smell of rot and garbage permeates all around the depilated houses. Sickly and malnourished people gazed at him warily while they hide the children. Some even wield small knives that have been chipped and badly damaged that it might deal blunt injuries rather than a cut. Seeing the suffering of people around him despite knowing he can’t do anything pains him the most. The hopeful eyes of children gazing at him with a smile despite their state of living cut him deeper than anything.
He doesn’t want to be reminded of how weak and useless he was despite wanting to help, he feels guilty about lying at Kyle at first but it’s something he doesn’t want to experience again. He gritted his teeth while gazing at the muddy ground before making his way to a large wooden house with different ragged people are talking and moving in and out. A robed figure is standing beside the door to act as security.
Alrich receives some sneering gazes and mocking smirk but he didn’t mind it as he entered the house. Inside there’s a couple of wooden tables and chairs while an alluring woman smoking a cane pipe can be seen over the wooden countertop talking to people in line before bringing them upstairs and coming back. Alrich followed the line and a couple of minutes later, he finally reached the countertop as the woman studied him from top to bottom as a smirk appeared on her face.
“Say, do you have a bit of time after this? I’m quite interested in chatting with you in my room” she said seductively before giving a wink as Alrich chuckles nervously.
“Sorry, but my senior wouldn’t allow me to any waste time. There’s still a lot of work i have to do.” Alrich says with a smile but the woman chuckles before bringing a sheet of paper and sliding it towards the countertop.
“I see, maybe next time. I can offer you a discount if you want but anyways. What services would you like?” the woman said
“I want to till my farm” he says as the woman revealed a deep smile before leaving the countertop and gesturing to Alrich to follow her to the wooden stairs. Reaching the second floor there are 8 doors with a label on each of them. In the farthest north room has a label called tilling.
“Go to room 8, our farmers are quite professional so any type of weeds you have. They can take care of it. Well that’s it, you can visit my room in this inn if you want” she smiled before winking and leaving Alrich with a paper in his hand. He wanted to throw the paper away but it might prove useful later as he pockets it. Making his way to room 8, a burly man in his forties with scars on his face gets out of the room before glaring at him and leaving downstairs. Weirded out by this, he hurriedly goes inside the room to find a figure sitting in a chair in front of a desk wearing the assassin’s black hood and robe with a mask. Hiding their gender, face, and any information about their body.
“Welcome, what is your purpose of visiting? Sir Alrich” the figure spoke with a tone of a man.
“I have information…regarding the crowned prince” he said as the figure jolted momentarily.
“I see..what might it be” the figure spoke
“The crowned prince is researching about the forbidden human chimeras” Alrich says as the figure grew silent.
“Where did you get this information?” the figure spoke but with more urgency and interest.
“It’s none of your business, whether you believe it or not. It’s not my problem, my client only wished that the shadows can do something about it, and with the banquet, the prince will be away from his lab. Although i don’t know where it is except it’s inside the castle, the shadows can investigate about it” Alrich says before turning around and attempted to leave the room only to have a dagger flew centimeters to his cheek before embedding in the wooden wall.
“What does this mean?” he grabbed the dagger while glaring at the figure.
‘Ahhhh!! I’m deeaad! I shouldn’t listen to Kyle! No, i’m strong now. I can do this and act like Isaac’ his thoughts are different from what he said because he’s scared but he can’t show it to the figure. He glared at the figure before throwing it back to the table as the dagger penetrated the table before hitting the floor.
“If you believe me or not, as i said it’s none of my business. Don’t go threatening others with that flimsy weapon of yours” he said before leaving and slamming the door. Outside, he sighed with relief as he felt that a year of his life has been shaven off. He thought about how can Isaac always act like that, does he feel no fear? He shakes his head as he hurriedly left the house.
Meanwhile, in the room. The figure gestures his hand and 5 hooded figures appeared suddenly in the room bowing their head.
“What is it, 11th shadow prince Keal?” the hooded figure in the front said respectfully.
“Observe that dragonkin and tell the others to be ready in the banquet. We will storm the crowned prince’s room to confirm if he’s telling the truth or not” the figure sitting in the wooden chair said as everyone bowed before vanishing to thin air.
“I need to protect that dragonkin from the 6th shadow princess, i don’t want her to extract the information from that dragonkin before we check if what he said is true or not. Her hypnosis is terrifying indeed, she might take this chance to seduce that dragonkin and cause some trouble for us. We still don’t know who is behind it but to be able to make a proud dragonkin transform into a human must have been a respectful and powerful person” the figure sighed.
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
It has started raining and the mud is harder to move than before. Alrich curses his luck as he solemnly walked away from the slums only to noticed some shadows following behind him. His dragon eye can see the small movements of even an ant, a surprising addition but a welcomed one as he continued keeping his guard up.
Suddenly a dagger coated with a violet liquid suddenly appeared in the corner of his eyes as he tried dodging it only for the dagger to turn and moved before hitting his arms. He grunted in pain as blood started spilling out. The effects of the poison were fast as he felt the world around him spinning and his head becomes light. A second later, he falls to the ground as a woman grabbed him before vanishing in thin air. The others who are following Alrich didn’t even have the time to react as they quickly headed back to the house to report that the 6th shadow princess has abducted the dragonkin.
In the white mansion, Kyle and Isaac know that Ciaran is missing as they are walking in the hallway discussing what to do.
“It’s a waste of time” Isaac says with no interest in continuing the conversation
“No, we can use this to gain the favor of Cellica and Melissa. You know that they have the money and influence so we can request for an artifact or additional money since you know. We don’t have any” Kyle said with a helpless smile.
“Didn’t you say you have been itching for a fight, there’s a lot of monsters and bandits outside the walls of the capital? Surely while looking for him, you can fight those things too.” Kyle smirked as he can see Isaac pondering about it. An arrow appeared out of nowhere as it embedded in the wall near Kyle with a letter inside. Taking the letter out from the arrow, he began reading it.
“This is from the 6th shadow princess, i have your little dragonkin. If you want him alive, go to the Starfall gorge. I want to have a little chat with you” Kyle reads the letter as he crumpled the paper before throwing it.
“I should have given Alrich a masked, damn. Isaac, go find Melissa and help her find Ciaran while i have something to do. Take this trinket, it can lead you to her” Kyle says as he handed Isaac a trinket.
“Chaos Magic: Summon portal” Kyle chanted as a violet portal appeared in thin air as he summoned his spear before entering it with anger and annoyances in his expression. Leaving Isaac alone in the hallway.
“He didn’t tell me how to activate it..” Isaac stared at the trinket before pocketing it and walking towards his room to grab his katana and hopefully it would stop talking when he uses it.
In the mountaintop, there’s a woman and a man chained to the ground. The woman looked in her mid-twenties with blonde hair with a red tip in her hair. Her succulent lips and white complexion added by her elf ears created beauty out of this world. She looked gentle and kind but once she laid eyes on Alrich, her face turned to sadistic with a smirk before licking her lips.
Kyle can see what’s happening but luckily, Alrich is fine in terms of his chastity or pride. Suddenly, a black shadow appeared behind him as he didn’t hesitate to stab it only for his spear to be parried easily. The figure is wielding dual daggers as it stared at Kyle. Kyle knows that this hidden figure is at least level 60 by its aura and he’s sure that he can’t win or escape without revealing all of his trump cards as he gritted his teeth and harden his grip on the spear.
“You are weaker than expected…Still, forgive me for suddenly appearing but i wish to help you.” the figure spoke as the daggers vanished.
“Help me? Aren’t you a shadow prince at the very least? Why do you need my help?” Kyle asked warily and without lowering his guard.
“Ah, it seems that you have found out my identity. Anyway, that woman is stronger than me so i need your help to teleport that dragonkin away from her. " the figure spoke slowly and depressingly. Kyle can see signs of fatigue and hopelessness in the figure.
“I see, so my eyes didn’t see wrong. A shadow princess who assaults handsome men before killing them. Are you guys okay? I’m pretty sure she creates a lot of trouble” Kyle says with a smile as the figure sighed deeply,
“It is as you said, although it’s baseless rumors that she kills them. It creates more trouble when the men remember her and create rumors about a crazed woman with high standing in the shadow. Most clients are turned down by this when they hear that she’s the one doing the work” the figure spoke while staring at the woman.
“I can hear the both of you okay?” the woman spoke without looking at them or minding them as she slowly walks towards Alrich. The figure dashes forward while Kyle follows it as he throws his spear which is aimed at the chains while the figure brandished its weapon as it started swinging and slashing towards the woman. The woman parried it with her own set of daggers as sparks of fire and the clanging of metals is jarring. It was too fast that it seems like countless hands are attacking at the same time but Kyle can see that the figure is slowly losing as the woman continued striking nonchalantly with a smile.
“You should practice more my little assistant~” she said with a smile as the figure started swinging and slashing faster but despite what the figure does, the woman easily parried and strikes back. While Kyle destroyed the chains before grabbing Alrich away only for violet chains to wrap around the both of them.
“Oh no you don’t. Creation Magic: Binding Chains” the woman smirked as countless chains burst through towards the both of them. The figure dashed to destroy the chains but the chains hit the hood of the figure revealing a green-haired woman with freckles, a cute and shy expression appeared on her face when her hood was removed causing her to lose focus and get hit by the chains.
“Chaos Magic: Annihilation” a black orb appeared on his hand before throwing it towards the chains.
“Enlarge” the black orb grew larger instantly as the chains were obliterated and destroyed but the woman just smiled as the chains started wrapping around the orb while slowly trapping it. The chains continued on spawning as the orb can’t absorb every single chains that are wrapping around it before it slowly gets smaller and smaller until it vanished. Kyle coughs up blood as he falls to his knees in exhaustion. He breathes roughly and gasping as he glared at the woman.
“Ohh, didn’t expect a cursed sacred weapon user. How much would your bounty be?” the woman asked with a kind smile while twirling the dagger in her hand as the chains vanished all around them.
“None, because no…one knows about me” he says with a forced smile.
“I see, i will let you go if you know the answer about this” the woman smiled as he gulps in nervousness. Without his class, he can’t hope of winning a monster like her or even injuring her. The level gap was too large and that spell was the strongest magic besides the destruction magic. The creation magic was used by the gods to create everything in this world. It’s nearly impossible to learn one for there are only a few that mortals can use without that.
“Where did you get your eyes of foresight?” she smirked as Kyle sees a future that depicts him and Alrich decapitated with their body thrown to the river. As his eyes can see the flash of light that killed them, he gritted his teeth before he grabbed the unconscious Alrich and jumping to the river as the woman shouted and tried to grab him only for him to smirk at her and with his spear in his hand, he tried to flip her off but failed.
“Chaos Magic: Summon Portal, Adios~” he smiled before he and Alrich hit the river, a portal appeared in their backs as they teleported away from the gorge and inside the mansion.
‘I didn’t reincarnate twice just to be done in by a shadow princess but why did she try on killing us? Is it because of my eyes or because i wield a cursed weapon? Still, screw her!’