V2 Chapter 146

Assassins, Rogues, Thieves, they were almost the same with a small difference in professions and specialties, but all of them were the epitome of cunningness and despicableness.

Almost everyone hated them, despised them, detest them.

They are considered the most shameless profession, without honor and pride.

However, that is only what other people thought.

Assassins and Thieves, both have their own pride and honor. And that is something no one could understand except themselves and the people who was in the same field. It’s a profession that requires loneliness, often walking alone in the darkness, with no companions, no friends, no comrades...not one whatsoever. Using poison, sneak attacks, saps, stealing, they were also considered the profession with the most tricks up their sleeves and the shrewdness of a fox.

That is a True Assassin!

And that is what Cian is...

Appearing beside the largest giant snake, and perhaps having the highest level among the three, Cian held his hand towards the giant snake.

“…?!” The warm hand was immediately felt by the giant snake. However, before it could react, it suddenly felt the blood inside its body flow in reverse and become chaotic.

The giant snake let out a painful cry and started shaking convulsively. Its head and tail started to violently smash everything around it. Cian saw the two snakes rushing towards him angrily, as his stealth had come undone the moment he started his attack. Then, he leaped lightly and his leg swept in the air, hitting the giant snake, sending it shooting towards one of the two snakes.

His action and movement seemed casual but the moment it hit the monster, the monster felt as if it was hit by a twelve-wheeler truck running on its highest speed, breaking the jaws of the giant snake. Blood splattered and the giant serpent that was struck by its comrade was like a bowling pin struck by a ball, it crashed on the wall, creating a caved in.

“…I’m not good at going easy on opponents, nevertheless, try to keep up— let’s dance…!” Cian grinned with an evil smile.

When he stomped the floor, his foot shattered the ground and his body shot towards the last giant snake who had managed to reach him. The small dagger in his hand gleamed with an ominous light and he started dancing with the giant snake as his partner.

Splash! Splash! Splash! Blood spurted from the torn scales along with the giant snake’s painful cry. It tried to catch Cian or smash him into a pulp with its tail but Cian was like an immovable mountain. Its tail couldn’t budge Cian at all.

Energy beams shot towards him from the other two snakes that had recovered, but Cian only smiled coldly. The moment the beams reached his back, and the monsters assured of their victory, their eyes widened and jaws hanged as if broken, as the energy beams seemed to have been stopped by an invisible wall, before it flew backward, shooting back towards where it came from.

One of the stronger giant snakes saw what happened and hurriedly dove down in the side dodging with all its might, but the other snake was unfortunate. It was too late for it. The monster exploded the moment two energy beams hit its location. Its enormous body blown to pieces, and large chunks of flesh and blood rained down from the ceiling. Seeing their comrade dying, the two other giant snakes angrily pounced at Cian.

“Beast without intelligence, you better know where you baring those worthless fangs!” Cian sneered and his body instantly flashed.

While the two giant snakes looked at its side with astonished expressions. They couldn’t help but sneer in contempt. Seeing how straight forward Cian was attacking, a touch of disdain was revealed on the smiles of the two giant snakes, swinging down, their huge tails directly above the courageous youth who bravely run towards its enemies. It was nothing but foolishness.

Sadly,

“You are too naïve!”

Cian snorted, and with a side-stepped, the tails they had thought would crush the thin figure seemed to have missed intentionally. They could not help but cry in shock at the impossible scene. Passing through their attacks with the slightest effort, Cian went around the closest snake.

The Giant Serpent saw its strike easily dodged by Cian who stabbed a dagger at its tail in response. Blood spurted out along with a painful hiss. It still couldn’t understand as to why their prided scales that cannot even be pierced through by ordinary magical weapons were easily penetrated by that seemingly ordinary black dagger.

“Shaaaaa!!!”

Angry and humiliated, the giant serpent still tried to smash Cian with its massive tail. Even the other one also started its own attack. However, to them, Cian was just a flashing silhouette as their strikes hit nothing but air. The giant serpents mind trembled. Their attack missed? What incredible speed!

“!!!”

The offensive was reversed in an instant. Cian’s figure disappeared from the giant serpent’s eyes in that split second. However, due to their natural instincts, they barely managed to block Cian’s attack with their tail—kick and tail stand against each other.

Slender, thin legs against over five-meter length and over two-meter width tail, but the outcome surprised the two serpents.

Rather than the thin limbs, the serpent’s tail was blown away, which also destroyed the monster's balance.

The last serpent tried to attack Cian to save its companion. However, without letting the chance go, Cian rushed at the stunned monster, while avoiding the other one’s attacks. He easily erased the space that was needed for them to lashed with their tails; his sharp thrusts came one after another towards the gaps in the monster’s defense.

The eyes of the giant serpents were blinded by the cold glimmer of Cian’s dagger as it rapidly neared. Once again a long cut wound appeared on one of the snake’s head. When it tried to attack Cian in rage, Cian took only a single step back, as he disappeared from its line of sight.

“… one last time and your head is mine…” Cian grinned as the black dagger played around his fingers.

Knowing when to attack and retreat, that's how an assassin should be. Charging with nothing but foolish bravery is but an insult to an assassin. Cian didn't care if their attacks would not do anything against him with his [Absolute Defense] as he knows that even with his almost absolute defense, there will always be a limitation.

Perhaps because of the nature of this world, his [Absolute Defense] is not as perfect as it seems. It's like a barrier with limited durability due to his own limited power. Although weak attacks wouldn't do anything against it, however, with an attack of sufficient power, there's a high chance it would get destroyed. And when it does not only he would received the enemy's attack, the backlash of his [Absolute Defense] breaking would also hurt his mind, incapacitating him.

Of course, if they possess that much power, that is.

There's only a few people in this world who could do such a thing, and these monsters before him are still far from capable of achieving such feat.

The two injured Serpents stared at the youth, aghast, horrified. It was as if the harmless-looking youth before them had become one with a deity. Or perhaps a Spirit?

The Spirit of the Shadows!

He was using footwork that could rival a professional dancer.

He was uncatchable, he cannot be touched!

“Shaaa!!”

“Shaaa!!”

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

Cian thought back to when he was an assassin back in Earth, he had never had this kind of thrilling fight before.

Perhaps, this was the reason why he had dislike doing assassination jobs? Because it didn’t move his heart at all. Dull, boring… meaningless bloodshed. There might be a sense of death all the time, but there would never be as thrilling and exciting as this!

Cian’s heart throbbed in excitement.

The black dagger in his hand seemed to be a part of his body, also throbbing wildly along with his heart.

At that moment, the experiences of two lifetimes merged into a whole!

His lips curled into a faint smile.

At this moment, his face looks extremely like a child. Honest, and Pure. His heart and emotions greatly reflected in his expression. The newfound excitement caused the collision of both lives and then it brought together through space and time allowed Cian to enter a deep trance of self-reflection. After a moment longer, still, with a pure smile hanging on his face, he muttered in a pleased tone, “…I love this shit…!”

Then, his figure blurred and he was running towards the two remaining monsters.

“Shaaa!!”

“Shaaa!!”

The two serpents saw Cian once again running towards them and they immediately issued a threatening cry, wanting Cian to stop. However, Cian’s speed didn’t reduce even a bit. In fact, he was getting stronger. The two giant snakes attacked in desperation.

Cian’s thoughts were very clear. He completely ignored the two raging giant serpents, as though they didn’t exist. He was just dancing in the mountain of blades with graceful agility, an innate tenacity, and the relentless momentum that made his heart drunk!

No one could block his movements, not the monsters in front of him or anyone else in this world!

As the giant serpents felt Cian brush past them in a blur, a feeling of humiliation arose within them. With a horizontal sweep of their tail, they tried to catch him. However, Cian was like a shadow, intangible and uncatchable.

A sense of frustration flooded through two monsters.

At this moment—

The dagger form of the [Imagis Realis] gleamed dangerously as it shot towards the giant snake, like a shooting star.

The dagger fiercely stabbed the snake’s body, causing blood to spurt like a fountain. Its prided tough scales were nothing in front of the [Imagis Realis]. Experiencing excruciating pain, the ferocious snake opened its mouth in an attempt to devour Cian in a mouthful. However, Cian just slightly squats his body and escaped the bite. Then, bracing his body, he quickly went around the snake’s back, and in a flash used both of his hands.

As if being hit by a hammer, the giant snake felt a burst of impact from behind it, sending it crashing on the wall. Cian followed by a somersault in the air, dodging venomous rock spikes that had shot out from the floor, and then glared at the biggest giant snake behind him.

Using its [Night’s Eye] there’s nothing he cannot see, even if he was ambushed. Not sure if the monster thought that he would be an easier target, but that was already a mistake. Cian can see every direction as if he was countless eyes around him. To him, there was no such thing as a blindspot!

Clenching his hand, Cian stomped the wall, causing the wall on the right side to crash and flew towards the giant snake.

"Shaaaraaa!!!!"

Woooosh!

The giant snake spat out a venomous mist—normally this would have been fatal to any people, no matter how strong they are, but only if it reaches Cian that is.

The purple mist only revolves around him without even touching a strand of his hair and Baaaaaaang!! throw his fist towards the giant snake’s abdomen.

Gyaaaaaaaahhh—!!!

Caught off-guard by the impossibility of the scene in front of it, the giant snake’s entire body almost turned into ‘<’ as it bends and blasted away with horrifying force. Then, without wasting any time, Cian grasped the [Imagis Realis] which was now wriggling like a living being before turning into long black spear—

“Eat this!” Cian smiled coldly and throw the spear with all his strength.

BOOOOM!!

The spear struck the giant snake’s head, nailing it on the wall.

Its death came a second after.

Cian smiled content. However, things have yet to end. A shadow loomed over him, like a colossal figure. Cian smirk, from behind a large jaw filled with blade-like fangs opened like a mouth of death, wanting to devour Cian. However, before it could completely took Cian to its mouth, Baaaaang!!! it’s body burst out from within and exploded into pieces.

Cian smirk.

“A stupid move,” He grinned coldly as blood and flesh rained down from above. An enormous snakehead fell with a plop in front of him, still eyes wide open, not knowing or understand what had occurred even after its death. Its pair of pupils reflected Cian’s figure. “…touching me is something only an idiot would do. Do remember that, in your next life, beast…”

With a cold laugh, Cian patted his shoulder and cleaned the surface of the black spear that had, for who knows when had returned on his hand. The last thing that the snake had seen with its eyes, was the youth staring at it down with a savage grin before its eyes dimmed down and it died.

The three giant snakes eliminated successfully…!

… …

After storing what’s left in the three giant snake’s corpses, Cian started checking each room.

Due to the boulders that were piled up and blocking the corridor, Cian’s advancement halted. Even if Cian wanted to go even deeper, he would need to clear them up one by one. But that is quite a troublesome manual work that Cian didn’t like doing. And also, judging from the cracks running through the walls, he was certain that, the moment he tried to blow up the boulders blocking the corridor, everything would crumble.

And who knows what would happen if the ceiling completely falls down on his head? That would not be funny. Thus, Cian left it as a last resort. If he didn’t find anything useful or another way to pass through, then that’s the only thing he could do.

Cian started checking each room. There were four rooms, one of them were full of debris and rocks due to the destroyed ceiling, so nothing useful could be found from it. However, the other three were different. The room seemed to be rooms made for nobles as there were quite several antique ornaments and decorations found inside which was made from rare materials.

There were even paintings of landscape and people, and some abstract pictures, which for some reason, resonated with his [Magic Eye].

The painting itself seemed to be a magic artifact. But for what kind or uses it has, Cian didn’t know. In any case, appraising it would be easy the moment he returned home. Cian took all of it. As for the other painting which was just normal ornaments, he quite likes them, though they were somewhat dirty and blanched it gave off an antique and vintage appearance. However, there were no decorations of swords or shields like the medieval era nobles back in Earth.

Perhaps because it has been taken by the monsters or people living here to use as weapons. Cian knows that there should be such decorations here a long time ago, due to the tainted marks left on the walls, and also by the fact that most noble families in the Demon Empire have such customs.

After looting all the three rooms for any useful and interesting items, Cian returned to the third room he entered. There, he found a five to six-meter pond just beside the wall. It was clear, like a spring. Cian knows that the three giant snakes all came from this pond, or rather, they came out from this pond. He noticed the marks left by their tails and their slithering and judging from the marks, it's probably not that long since they passed through it—perhaps, around yesterday or the day before it, did they came out of it.

Cian was certain that there should be a passage through the bottom of the pond because, three giant snakes with a length of over ten meters cannot possibly stay in this pond or live on it. And there was no prey that can be found inside this place aside from corpses and skeletons, so the giant snakes couldn't possibly have lived in these ruins for their entire lives.

Though, the problem is… what if behind this pond was a snake’s lair…?

There should be quite a number within it. Cian wondered what he should do. Should he go? Should he not? But if he wouldn’t, where would he go?

Destroy the boulders, destroying this place?

I guess there’s no choice but to go in regardless!

Cian understood the risky nature of such a stupid plan after knowing what might lies ahead, but he had overcome situations that were several times more dangerous than this one before.

The most alluring characteristic of this world that had given him was the sheer excitement it provided. Although he had a life out of normal back in the previous world and had also been doing what he was doing in this world, experiencing the feeling of dancing between life and death. However, in the previous world, he was doing it for something else, and he had never taken a liking to it.

But in this world, he was doing it for survival as well as for himself. ..and the excitement it brought to him.

No one ordered him to do anything, to kill anything, like a killer puppet, but he himself was doing it for his own purpose and desires. And unlike the life he had in the previous world, he had taken a great liking in this turbulent and messy life of his full of thrill and danger.

Perhaps his own nature was one that welcomed risks and dangers.

What mattered most was that Cian enjoyed this feeling.

He strived to achieve the impossible and overcome dangerous situations one after another because it was proof of his own ability.

After making his resolve, he grinned like a little kid who had his toy in hand; he leaped into the air, and with a splash, dove headfirst into the small pond.

The water inside this small cold pool was extremely clear, however, it was very deep, and couldn’t even see its bottom.

It was an unexpected even for Cian that he was somewhat dazzled.

Cian dived down, and a burst of bone-piercing coldness attacked him. Fortunately, his body was not like that of normal humans and this coldness was in a tolerable limit; otherwise, he would have change into a human Popsicle in an instant. That would be pitiful.

In fact, a normal human would already have difficulties in this cold, and worse, a few minutes later, they might even die due to low temperature. However, Cian had a Demon Physique and he possesses some resistance to any elements. And most of all, by coating his body with magical energy, he was able to protect himself from the cold. It was a common trick used by many demons and magic users.

Cian hurriedly stabilized himself and carefully observed his surroundings. After reclaiming his bearings, he swam forth once more. Although the water seemed clear, it’s quite dim, which meant that his view distance was extremely limited. Meanwhile, the underlying currents posed a huge challenge as they pushed him every which way, making it more difficult to swim. At times they would even forcefully push or pull him away from his destination.

While care freely swimming in the water, Cian never let his guard down. Then, suddenly, at the corner of his eyes, a flashy yellow starfish with purple polka dots appeared, shooting towards him while rolling like a wheel――It was a Poison Starfish.

... ...

Today's snack results:

[Ability [Provoking Roar] has been plundered!]

[Ability [Magic Missile] has been plundered!]