There was no time to ask what that pitch-black Tear's of the Shadow was, Riven immediately lowered her head and began searching for the container she had used to hold it earlier.
But unfortunately, the mad Shadow Stream Assassin had completely crushed the sealing bottle before devouring it, and Riven only found some remnants.
When Riven looked up, this drop of ink-black liquid had already begun to rapidly vibrate in Dean's palm, as if it was about to break free and turn back into a monster the next second! In an emergency, Dean took a deep breath, gritted his teeth, closed his eyes, and opened his mouth, swallowing it directly.
Remembering the tragic state of the Shadow Stream Assassin earlier, Riven was horrified—but she quickly recalled how Dean had eaten her greatsword like a biscuit.
Sure enough, after Dean swallowed the Tear's of the Shadow, apart from his face instantly becoming uglier than if he had eaten excrement, his body seemed to be unharmed. To Riven's surprise, he cleanly threw away the assassin's corpse, bent down, and, holding his knees, began to retch violently.
"Ugh—"
Unfortunately, although the Tear's of the Shadow was disgusting, it melted instantly upon entry, and Dean didn't throw up anything.
"That's so f*cking disgusting!!!" The pained Dean straightened up. "How can there be such a disgusting taste? I swear if I ever put anything related to the Shadow into my mouth again, I'll be an idiot!!!"
Seeing him like this, Riven's tense nerves suddenly relaxed a bit. The corners of her mouth even twitched slightly, as if she had the urge to laugh.
"Don't laugh." Dean decisively nipped the mockery in the bud. "Take that tongue, let's go!"
"What about these bodies?"
"I'll handle them!"
When Riven carried the Shadow Stream Assassin, who was tied up like a dumpling, Dean had already dealt with the bodies on the ground—he just reached out and rubbed them, and the four bodies seemed to melt away, disappearing into the shadows.
"Let's go." Dean called out to Riven. "Stay close to me!"
After speaking, he darted into the dense forest.
Riven, carrying her captive, also decisively followed, one after the other, disappearing with him into the vast dense forest.
....................
When the Navori Brotherhood militiamen finally arrived at the scene, panting, all they saw was a mess, not even a single person.
These people searched around but found nothing in the end, so they could only retreat dejectedly.
As they returned to the village, Riven and Dean had already escaped into the dense forest, crossed a small stream, and arrived at an uninhabited mountain hollow.
Once Dean confirmed there were no pursuers, Riven finally threw the captive under a tree.
"What exactly is going on?" She looked at Dean. "These assassins are hounding you just because the Black Rose wants to capture you, and they don't want the Black Rose to succeed?"
"I certainly thought so at first." Dean rubbed his temples. "But from the current situation, things might not be that simple—that's why I need to catch a tongue and interrogate him."
Saying that, he bent down and removed the cloth gagging the captive's mouth.
"Quick question, quick answer. I'll give you a quick end. Why does the Shadow Order insist on killing me?"
"Don't expect me to betray!" The assassin was quite defiant. "Go be a muddled ghost!"
Upon hearing this, Dean shook his head lightly and reached out to pinch his shoulder—under the corrosion of the Shadow, the assassin's shoulder collapsed a section, and he let out a shrill wail.
However, when Dean stopped, he still gritted his teeth, and even though sweat was rolling down from the pain, he still said nothing.
A tough nut, troublesome.
Dean's face showed a hint of helplessness. These fanatical Shadow Stream Assassins, whether their minds were affected by the negative energy of the Shadow or they genuinely believed in the righteousness of their cause, were characterized by a lack of communication, no interaction, and deadly intent, each as troublesome as a persistent ailment.
"It seems he won't talk." Riven could only shake her head upon seeing this. "Give him a quick end; he should die like a warrior."
"No, he's dying like an idiot right now." Dean snorted. "I dare say, this guy definitely has some misunderstanding about me—but the problem is, as far as I know, the leader of the Shadow Order, Jie, shouldn't be such a complete bastard..."
Riven obviously didn't know who "Jie" was.
And the captive under the tree also seemed to have never heard that name.
"How interesting." Dean, who had been observing the assassin's reaction out of the corner of his eye, finally showed a slight smile. "Kid, tell me, who exactly sent you?"
The assassin turned his face away, remaining silent.
"It certainly wasn't Zed." Dean continued to ask, "So, you're not doing this for the Shadow Order, are you?"
"We are naturally for the Shadow Order." This time, the assassin finally spoke. "Don't try to use Zed's name to establish a connection, it's meaningless."
"Of course it's meaningless, because you don't listen to him at all." Dean chuckled. "How could you be Zed's subordinate if you don't even know who Jie is?"
The assassin's eyes widened for the first time.
"How interesting, a Shadow Stream Assassin who doesn't know Zed is Jie." Dean gently patted his shoulder. "It seems this isn't a misunderstanding, but rather someone wants my life and is trying to pin the blame on the Shadow Order... There are quite a few Ionians colluding with Noxus."
"I did not collude with Noxus!" Veins bulged on the assassin's forehead. "You outsider don't understand, Zed is not the entirety of the Shadow Order!"
"Oh, that's an interesting conclusion." Dean nodded with a smile. "The true leader of the Shadow Order isn't Zed. Good, very good."
Seeing him like this, the assassin finally realized he had misspoken and closed his mouth again.
This time, Dean finally stopped questioning and pulled out a dagger from his waist, giving him a quick end.
When he finally finished dealing with the body and stood up again, Riven was looking at him with some confusion.
"What conclusion did you draw?" Riven asked directly. "The leader of that Shadow Order has changed, and this is related to the assassination attempt on you?"
"That's one aspect of it." Dean first affirmed Riven's statement, then added, "On the other hand, I also need to confirm some things—on my trust list, Zed should be in a neutral or higher position. If it really was him trying to assassinate me, then I might have to rethink that list and consider if I wasn't clear-headed when I didn't have my memories sealed."
"Oh?" Riven raised an eyebrow. "You're quite confident."
"That involves whether or not I want to share some secrets with you." Dean sighed. "For example, this, Heartsteel."
Saying that, he pulled open the robe that had been cut open on his chest, revealing the crimson armor within: "This is the greatest gain I got in the Immortal Bastion, and like your greatsword, it's an excellent piece of Noxian enchantment."
"Heartsteel?" Riven carefully examined the armor. "Red armor, a strange name."
"A rare Blood Magic enchanted piece." Dean tapped the armor, producing a clear sound. "Once worn, it becomes part of the body—this should be my biggest secret right now."
"An enchanted armor." Riven was still a bit confused. "It's certainly precious, but it shouldn't be considered a secret, right?"
"It is, and a very important secret." Dean nodded, his expression incredibly serious. "I'm willing to share it with you, but I'm not sure if it will bring you any danger, so are you willing to listen?"
Riven gazed into his violet eyes, many thoughts flashing through her mind, and finally she nodded gently: "I am willing."
