Alric moved silently through the thick jungle, every step measured and calculated. His eyes scanned the ground, picking up the faintest traces of Ron’s path. Broken twigs, the faint imprint of a boot in the mud, a crushed leaf—all signs that his prey was close.
‘There’s no time to waste,’ Alric thought, his expression calm but his mind racing. ‘Korvan is walking into a trap, and the longer I linger, the closer he gets to his end. I have to secure my way out before it all falls apart.’
Not long after, Alric’s keen eyes caught sight of movement up ahead. He crouched low, his body blending into the shadows of the trees. There, just beyond the clearing, he saw them.
Ron, the baron’s son, stood nervously by a large rock, his face pale and filled with fear. But it wasn’t just Ron that caught Alric’s attention—it was the man standing next to him. A man Alric recognized all too well. One of their own, a member of Korvan’s inner circle. The one they had contacted from the baron’s mansion, thinking him a valuable asset.
Alric’s eyes narrowed as the realization hit him. ‘Of course. This snake… He’s been playing both sides all along.’
The traitor stood confidently, his back turned to Alric, as if he didn’t have a care in the world. He spoke to Ron in low, reassuring tones, as though guiding him through a rehearsed plan. The boy seemed confused, scared, but willing to trust the man beside him—completely unaware of the depth of the betrayal surrounding him.
‘That’s how it is, then,’ Alric thought, his lips curling into a grim smile. ‘He was planning this from the start.’
The man had pretended to be their informant, someone working with Korvan’s crew, but all the while he had been planning to hand the boy back to the baron’s forces. It was a masterful betrayal, one Alric could almost respect if it hadn’t been directed at them. ƒreewebηoveℓ.com
‘I should’ve seen this coming,’ Alric mused bitterly, his fingers tightening around the hilt of his dagger. ‘He played the game well. Too well.’
He moved closer, staying low in the underbrush, watching their every move. The traitor was too at ease, too sure of himself, completely unaware that Alric was already hunting him. The man thought the plan was perfect, that he would slip away with Ron and collect his reward from the baron.
But Alric wasn’t going to let that happen.
‘Korvan might be walking into a trap, but I won’t be a casualty of this disaster,’ he thought, his mind already crafting the next move. ‘Ron’s my ticket out, and this traitor will pay for thinking he could outplay me.’
With silent precision, Alric drew his blade, the edge gleaming faintly in the dim jungle light. He moved forward like a shadow, ready to strike.
Alric’s blade flashed under the moonlight, a swift arc of death aimed at the traitor who had foolishly thought he could outsmart him.
SCHLUNK!
The blade cut cleanly through the man’s throat. Blood sprayed, and the betrayer’s eyes went wide in shock for a brief moment before his body crumpled to the ground, lifeless. Alric’s eyes never wavered as he wiped the blood from his dagger, his focus now entirely on Ron.
The boy stood frozen, his face pale as death as he stared at the body of the man who had just been cut down before him.
“You little rat,” Alric growled, his voice cold and filled with contempt. “You’ve caused me quite a pain. But that’s all over now.” He stepped forward, his eyes gleaming with malice, intent on securing the boy before things could spiral further out of control.
But then—his senses flared.
In an instant, Alric’s eyes narrowed, and his body shifted instinctively to the side. Something was coming—fast.
‘Qinggong technique,’ Alric thought immediately, his heart pounding as he spun to meet the danger. Someone was moving with incredible speed, their presence barely noticeable until they were nearly upon him.
A streak of black starlight flashed through the jungle, a deadly arc of energy slicing through the air toward him. Alric reacted instantly, his aura-covered dagger meeting the incoming strike with perfect precision.
CLANG!
The two forces collided in a burst of energy. Alric gritted his teeth, his dagger cutting through the starlight-infused attack, defending himself from the deadly blow. The power behind it was immense, but Alric managed to hold his ground, the clash sending shockwaves rippling through the jungle.
He didn’t need to look twice to know who had arrived.
Out of the shadows, the young man with the scar on his right eye stepped forward, his estoc glowing faintly with the remnants of starlight mana. His expression was calm, his gaze cold as he locked eyes with Alric.
“Impressive,” Alric muttered, his voice barely a whisper. ‘So, he is the one who’s been killing our men…’
The face was unfamiliar, someone that he was seeing for the first time. But at the same time, the wounds of the deceased had fit the weapon that he was using, not that it seemed he had any intention to hide anything.
The air between them crackled with tension, both men poised for the next move.
Alric’s eyes flicked toward Ron for a brief second, calculating his next move. ‘He’s fast, precise, and too skilled for me in a direct confrontation,’ Alric thought, weighing his options. ‘But if the boy’s life is threatened… he’ll have no choice but to react.’
His gaze snapped back to the young man, his expression unreadable. “Who are you?” Alric asked aloud, though his mind was already working on a plan.
The young man didn’t seem bothered by the question. “Does it matter?” he replied with that same smirk, his stance relaxed yet prepared. “This fight’s over.”
Alric’s eyes narrowed. ‘Arrogant… but he’s skilled.’ He knew that this wasn’t going to be an easy fight. Testing his opponent’s strength was the only way to buy himself time and set the pieces in motion.
In a flash, Alric dashed forward, his dagger aimed at the young man’s chest. The speed of his attack was impressive, but the young man was faster.
CLANG!
The estoc met Alric’s blade with a sharp, ringing sound. Alric gritted his teeth as his strikes were parried one after the other, the young man’s movements smooth and effortless. Each time Alric’s blade came close, the estoc seemed to appear out of nowhere, deflecting it with precision.
‘He’s too good,’ Alric thought grimly as his strikes were thwarted again and again. The young man was moving like the wind, his footwork graceful, his strikes fast and relentless. Alric’s dagger felt clumsy against the finesse of the estoc.
But Alric wasn’t without his own tricks.
The young man’s estoc flew toward him again in a quick stab, but Alric was prepared this time. ‘Now,’ he thought, activating his [Shadow Arts]. In an instant, his body flickered, teleporting a short distance away from the young man’s strike.
The young man’s eyes widened slightly as Alric reappeared behind him, but it wasn’t the assassin’s blade he was targeting this time.
With a flick of his wrist, Alric hurled a dagger directly at Ron.
The boy’s eyes widened in terror as the blade spun toward him. Alric’s lips curled into a grim smile. ‘He’s here to save the boy. If I force him to act, I’ll have the opening I need.’
In that split second, Alric’s plan seemed perfect. But as the dagger sailed through the air, the young man moved.
CLANG!
The estoc flashed like lightning, its black starlight sending a rapid arc, deflecting the dagger before it could reach its mark. Lucavion’s eyes, no longer playful, locked onto Alric’s. “You’re predictable.”
Alric’s breath quickened as he realized his plan had crumbled in an instant. His advantage was gone, and now, the young man’s eyes shone with that eerie purple light—the unmistakable glow of starlight mana.
‘Damn it…’ Alric thought, tightening his grip on his dagger. ‘I miscalculated.’
Before he could even react, the young man dashed forward, moving like a blur, his estoc leading the charge.
CLANG!
The first strike came fast, aimed at Alric’s heart. He barely managed to parry it, his body jerking back to avoid the deadly thrust.
SWOOSH!
The second strike was quicker, slashing toward his ribs. Alric twisted his body, evading by a hair’s breadth, but the force of the swing made his arm tingle from the sheer speed of the estoc.
‘He’s toying with me,’ Alric realized with a grimace. ‘He’s not even trying.’
CRASH!
The third strike came crashing down with a force that sent a shockwave through the ground. Alric blocked with all his might, his dagger barely holding against the weight of the estoc. His arms shook violently as his knees buckled under the pressure.
And then the fourth strike hit.
SLASH!
Alric gasped as the estoc pierced through his side, the starlight-infused blade cutting deep. Blood poured from the wound, staining the ground beneath him. Pain shot through his body, but he gritted his teeth, refusing to give in.
The fifth strike came faster than he could react.
SLASH!
Another gash, this time across his chest. Alric staggered back, his vision blurring as blood soaked his tattered clothes. His movements became sluggish, his strength fading with each second.
And then, the sixth strike.
SHUNK!
The estoc sliced through the air, its black starlight trailing behind it, and pierced straight into Alric’s neck. His eyes widened in shock as blood sprayed from the wound, his hands instinctively reaching for his throat, but there was no stopping it.
Lucavion pulled his blade free, and Alric’s body crumpled to the ground, lifeless. The once-crafty assassin now lay motionless, his final plan shattered before he could execute it.
Lucavion looked down at Alric’s corpse, the faintest smirk tugging at his lips as he wiped the blood from his estoc. “Told you,” he murmured, his voice low. “Predictable.”
He turned his gaze to Ron, who stood frozen in fear, his eyes wide as he stared at the young man who had saved his life.
———————–
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