The night was thick with silence, broken only by the distant hoot of an owl and the whispering wind weaving through the Moon Temple's towering spires. Perched high on the temple rooftop, Rex exhaled slowly, his breath vanishing into the cold air. The assassin's robes draped over him like a shadow, blending seamlessly with the darkness. Below, the grand courtyard was bathed in the ethereal glow of ritual candles, their flickering flames casting distorted silhouettes against the ancient stone walls. The temple's marble pillars bore intricate carvings of forgotten deities, their divine eyes seeming to watch over the sacred grounds.

Yet tonight, those divine eyes would witness murder.

Rex's fingers curled around the hilt of his obsidian dagger, Nightpiercer. It was a weapon forged in the depths of the Abyssal Mines, its blade designed to silence lives in the most efficient manner. However, this was no ordinary weapon. He had acquired it from the elusive Devil's Merchant, a mysterious figure who only appeared to those marked by darkness. The merchant had handed over Nightpiercer in exchange for a single promise—fulfilling a contract for the demon who lurked in the void.

The task? Assassinate High Priest Orlan.

He ran his thumb along the edge, feeling the slight enchantment hum beneath his skin—a passive poison effect, capable of paralyzing its target upon the smallest of wounds. He wouldn't need it. The priest wouldn't live long enough to feel its effects.

He crouched lower, his keen gaze sweeping across the temple courtyard. Guards stood in their designated positions—two stationed at the entrance, their halberds resting against their shoulders. Another three patrolled in a triangular pattern around the grand statue of the Moon Goddess. Beyond them, acolytes in white robes moved in slow, graceful steps, their soft prayers humming like a distant melody.

Then, at the center of it all, stood his target.

High Priest Orlan, a Level 10 cleric, was clad in flowing ceremonial robes adorned with silver embroidery. He carried a staff topped with a crescent moon, its glow pulsating in tandem with the temple's sacred energies. His face, weathered by time and devotion, held an air of serenity—completely oblivious to the silent predator watching from above.

Rex inhaled sharply. No mistakes. No hesitation.

The Journey to Moon Valley

Rex's path to Moon Valley had been anything but straightforward. The journey through the dense Whispering Woods was fraught with dangers—feral beasts lurked in the shadows, and rogue players eager to claim a bounty on lone travelers prowled the pathways.

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Keeping to the lesser-known trails, Rex navigated through twisted roots and uneven terrain with practiced ease. The eerie glow of bioluminescent fungi provided the only source of light, casting an unearthly blue hue across his path. He moved swiftly, avoiding unnecessary confrontations, though his daggers remained ready in case of an ambush.

At one point, he encountered a pack of Shadow Wolves, their eyes gleaming with predatory hunger. Rather than engage, Rex used a smoke bomb to mask his presence, slipping past the beasts undetected. Further along, he spotted an outpost occupied by a group of mercenaries—likely hired by rival guilds to patrol key travel routes. He veered off the main path, moving through the underbrush, careful not to break a single twig beneath his feet.

Upon reaching Moon Valley's outskirts, he took a moment to survey the landscape. The valley was a sprawling expanse of rocky terrain interspersed with clusters of ancient ruins. The temple stood at its heart, a towering structure bathed in the ethereal glow of moonlight. Rex's lips curled into a smirk. He had arrived.

The Approach

Sliding down the curved roof, Rex landed gracefully onto a lower ledge, pressing his back against the cold stone. His movements were soundless, practiced over two decades in God's Garden. He reached into his belt and retrieved a small glass sphere, filled with a swirling black mist—Shadow Veil, a consumable that granted invisibility for ten seconds upon activation.

He flicked the sphere against the stone, shattering it instantly. The mist coiled around him, embracing him in an unnatural darkness. He became nothing more than a whisper of the wind.

Leaping off the ledge, he landed on the soft grass below, rolling forward to absorb the impact. His heart drummed steadily in his chest, a rhythm he had mastered long ago. He was in the open now, but unseen. Moving swiftly, he approached the central altar where the priest stood, muttering ancient incantations. The temple's sacred wards shimmered faintly around him, but Rex had already planned for this.

He reached into his pouch and pulled out Silent Ash, a fine black powder harvested from cursed wraiths. Sprinkling it into the air, he watched as the ward's glow dimmed, its protective energy momentarily disrupted. It was all the opening he needed.

The Kill

Rex surged forward, his dagger flashing under the moonlight. In one fluid motion, he clasped a hand over the priest's mouth and drove the blade deep into his back, between the ribs, piercing the heart.

The priest stiffened, his muffled cry dying in his throat. Blood trickled down his lips, eyes widening in shock. Rex twisted the dagger once, ensuring a swift end, before gently lowering the body onto the cold temple floor.

Orlan's staff rolled from his grasp, clattering softly against the stone. The ritual candles flickered wildly, as if protesting the desecration that had just occurred.

Covering the Tracks

Rex wasted no time. He retrieved a small vial from his belt—a special concoction crafted from dissolving agents. Pouring a few drops over the wound, he watched as the flesh around it blackened, making it appear as though dark magic had been used.

Then came the final touch—the false trail.

From his pouch, he pulled out a Rising Solutions guild emblem. It gleamed under the moonlight, pristine and untouched. With calculated precision, he placed it beside the priest's outstretched hand, making it seem as if the emblem had fallen from the murderer's grasp.

Then, he vanished into the shadows, just as the first screams of horror echoed through the temple halls.

Note: he got few items from cave i hope you like it.

Author note :hello guys i hope you like the story i am dark eye it is my pen name if you like this wanna by me a coffe can contact me through email [email protected] and my line id darkeye2326 you can get advance chapters if you contact me thank you.can accept any ideas from you guys.

Pateron will be available in few i hope you can support me there please comment guys so I can improve.