Jian stood motionless, staring into the void where the masked figure had vanished. His pulse was steady, but his mind churned with questions.
The Tower was already filled with dangers—Guardians, challengers, beasts that defied logic. But now, something else lurked within its depths. Something older. Something beyond the Council's control.
He exhaled, forcing his body to relax. The encounter had shaken him, but fear wouldn't serve him. Knowledge would.
Jian adjusted his grip on his blade and turned away from the ravine, heading deeper into the forest. He needed to move, to clear his mind and think. His instincts warned him that staying in one place too long, especially after an encounter like that, was an invitation for more unwanted visitors.
As he walked, the silence of the Wilds pressed in around him. No sounds of insects, no rustling leaves—just an unnatural stillness.
Jian had experienced something similar before.
Predators.
Something was nearby.
He didn't stop moving, but his grip on his sword tightened. His eyes flickered across the terrain, noting the subtle signs—shadows shifting unnaturally, faint indentations in the soil. Someone was tracking him.
Jian's lips curled slightly.
So be it.
He pretended not to notice, keeping his pace steady as he reached a narrow clearing surrounded by dense trees. It was the perfect spot. Open enough to draw them in, closed enough to prevent them from escaping easily.
Then, he waited.
Seconds passed.
Then a whisper of movement.
Jian turned just as a blur of motion burst from the shadows. A dagger flashed toward his throat, faster than any normal challenger could manage.
But Jian was faster.
He sidestepped, twisting as his sword lashed out in a precise arc. His blade met resistance—a second dagger intercepting his strike. The force of the impact sent both of them skidding apart.
Jian's eyes locked onto his attacker.
They were cloaked in dark grey armor, their face obscured beneath a hood and mask. Unlike the figure from earlier, this one had no eerie presence, no reality-bending aura—just honed skill and lethal intent.
An assassin.
Jian exhaled.
"If you're going to come at me, at least introduce yourself first," he said coolly.
The assassin didn't respond. Instead, they lunged again.
This time, Jian didn't retreat. He met them head-on.
Blades clashed in a blur of motion, each strike met with a counter, each feint answered with precision. Jian could tell immediately—this wasn't an ordinary opponent. Their movements were efficient, their reactions honed through countless battles.
But Jian was no ordinary challenger, either.
He parried a rapid series of slashes, his footwork shifting to disrupt the assassin's rhythm. Then, in a split-second opening, he twisted his blade at an impossible angle and struck.
A sharp clang rang out as his sword bit through the assassin's defenses, grazing their shoulder.
They leapt back, landing in a crouch. For the first time, they hesitated.
Jian didn't give them time to recover.
He surged forward, pressing the advantage. His blade moved like a storm, each strike flowing into the next. The assassin blocked, dodged, and countered, but Jian's relentless assault left them no room to breathe.
Then—an opening.
Jian's blade flickered, shifting mid-strike. The assassin reacted too late. His sword sliced through the straps of their mask, tearing it away in a single motion.
The face beneath was sharp, cold, and unmistakably human. A woman with dark, piercing eyes, her expression unreadable.
She didn't falter.
Instead, she moved faster.
Jian barely dodged as a second dagger appeared in her hand, slashing toward his ribs. He twisted, catching her wrist with his free hand and forcing her back.
They locked eyes.
For a moment, neither moved.
Then, she exhaled. "You're as good as they say."
Jian's grip didn't loosen. "Who sent you?"
She didn't answer immediately. Then, with a small, almost imperceptible smirk, she said, "No one you need to worry about."
Jian frowned. "That's not an answer."
She tilted her head slightly. "It's the only one you're getting."
Jian studied her for a long moment. He could press further, force a real answer. But something told him she wasn't here for a simple assassination attempt.
She was testing him.
And from the look in her eyes, he had passed.
Jian released her wrist and stepped back. "If you're not here to kill me, then what do you want?"
She rubbed her wrist idly, watching him. Then, she said, "You're making waves in the Tower. People are paying attention. Not just the Council. Not just the challengers."
Jian remained silent.
She continued. "The ones who move the Tower—the ones who exist in the places challengers aren't meant to see—they know your name now."
Jian exhaled slowly. "And you?"
The woman gave him a small, knowing smile. "Let's just say I'm not the only one watching. You're not alone in this, Irregular. But whether that's a good thing or not…" She stepped back, fading into the shadows of the trees.
"…you'll have to decide for yourself."
And just like that, she was gone.
Jian remained in the clearing, his blade still gripped tightly in his hand.
First the masked figure. Now an assassin with cryptic warnings.
The Tower wasn't just testing his strength anymore.
It was watching.
And Jian had no intention of playing by its rules.
End of Chapter 39.