Darion's Lair
The atmosphere in the dimly lit chamber was thick with tension and fear. Darion, a once formidable figure now left with only his left hand, sat at the head of the table. His minions, a collection of hardened criminals and ruthless mercenaries, surrounded him, their faces a mixture of curiosity and apprehension.
Darion's voice cut through the silence like a knife. "Listen well, all of you. Six years ago, we believed we had seen the last of that boy. But he is back."
One of his newly joined minions, a burly man with a scar running across his cheek, dared to speak. "Boss, what's going on? Who's this boy?"
Darion looked at his right shoulder missing his arm. "The boy was the reason I lost my arm. That bit*h! She said she was looking for a child with a shadow spirit or anything similar. And she was willing to pay 500,000 gold to anyone who could find him."
The room erupted in gasps and murmurs. The amount was astronomical, enough to make even the most loyal turn greedy. Another minion, a wiry man with a twitchy eye, asked, "What's her rank, boss?"
Darion's eyes blazed with fury and something else – fear. "That woman, she was a spirit king. She was the one who destroyed Doulos, the largest slave centre. She sent me a letter this morning."
Darion showed his minions the letter. The letter said:
To Darion, the Broken One,
Once upon a midnight dreary, beneath the moon's cold glare,
A child, torn and shattered, fell into your lair.
With cruelty unmatched and malice so deep,
You sowed the seeds of darkness, but now you shall weep.
Six winters have passed, each one an etching of pain,
While you reveled in chaos, sought power and gain.
Molded by vengeance, his heart turned to steel,
He comes for your blood, your end to seal.
For in his heart burns a fire so fierce,
A blade forged in sorrow, your soul it shall pierce.
With every step closer, your nightmares take form,
In the guise of the boy, now reborn in the storm.
Your minions may rally, your defenses may stand,
But shadows will find you, with a cold, ruthless hand.
So tremble, Darion, in your fortress of lies,
For the shadow approaches, with death in his eyes.
For the shadow you made, the demon you scorned,
Is now your destruction, in vengeance reborn.
Awaiting your demise,
Seraphina
Darion slammed his fist on the table, silencing the room. "She promised that if we find the boy, she will pay us. But she paid me by chopping my right arm off. Now that little shit is coming to finally end me. ME? THE SPIRIT GRANDMASTER!!??!"
The minions exchanged uneasy glances. They remembered the boy Darion had handed over to Seraphina years ago. The scarred minion voiced what everyone was thinking. "But boss, how strong could he have become? He was just a weakling back then."
Darion's face darkened. "Do you think I don't know that? The letter she sent me wasn't just a threat. It was a declaration. He was a monster when he was just a kid. I cannot imagine how strong he'd be now."
The room fell silent. The minions could hardly believe their ears. The weak boy they had known six years ago had supposedly grown powerful enough to make their boss this anxious. The tension was palpable as Darion continued. "This woman – Seraphina – she's no ordinary spirit king. She's trained the boy to be an assassin, to be the weapon that ends us all."
The fear in the room was almost tangible. Darion's words hung in the air, a dire prophecy that none of them could ignore. "Gather everyone. Hire mercenaries. We prepare for war. This boy, this shadow, will not find us unprepared."
Meanwhile, inside the carriage, Kael, now going by the alias Carl Laymen, continued to weave his web of deceit. He had transformed himself into the charming and caring Carl, a persona designed to manipulate and deceive.
Elsia, the merchant's daughter, had grown increasingly friendly with Carl. Small incidents seemed to push them closer together, incidents that Carl had meticulously orchestrated. One evening, the carriage hit a bump, and Elsia fell into Carl's lap. He caught her gracefully, his expression one of concern and care.
"Are you alright, Elsia?" he asked, his voice gentle.
Elsia blushed, her heart racing. "I'm fine, Carl. Thank you."
Another time, while walking through a market, Elsia slipped on a loose cobblestone. Carl was there in an instant, catching her before she could fall. "Careful, Elsia. You need to watch your step," he said with a warm smile.
Elsia's admiration for Carl grew with each passing day, and Carl knew it. He was cultivating her feelings, knowing that her love would be a valuable asset. The Davenports were influential, and gaining their trust and affection would open many doors for him.
But Carl's ambitions were far grander than simply manipulating a merchant's daughter. During his six years in the forest, under Seraphina's tutelage, he had not only mastered the ways of the spirits but also learned about the world's politics, influential figures, and their secrets. Seraphina, friendly with the Information Guild Master, had provided Carl with a wealth of knowledge.
Carl's destination was Harrowgate, where he planned to meet the Information Guild Master. He needed missions to complete, to test his new powers and grow even stronger. But there was another reason for his journey, a secret he had kept from Seraphina.
Through his training, Carl had discovered a clue about the Tomb of the King of Assassins. It was a legend, a place said to hold unimaginable treasures and knowledge. Carl knew that finding the tomb would make him unstoppable. The power he could gain from the tomb would be unlike anything the world had ever seen.
As the carriage rolled on towards Harrowgate, Carl leaned back, a small, satisfied smile playing on his lips. Everything was falling into place. He would continue to play the role of the chivalrous warrior, the kind and caring protector. But beneath the mask, he was still Kael, the master manipulator, always one step ahead.
The world would see him as a hero, but those who crossed him would know the truth – that behind the kind smile and gentle words, there was a ruthless and calculating mind, always plotting, always scheming.
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DING
Quest Arrived
Quest Details: Give 10 genuine reviews to the novel Assassin's Redemption
Completion Rate: 1/10
Rewards: Extra chapters
Failure: Bad Luck for a week