ocean-life Chapter 223: Aidan Hamil’s Proof
Chapter 223: Aidan Hamil’s Proof
Chapter 223: Aidan Hamil’s Proof
It was late at night.
Azor truly lived up to its reputation as the City of Magic, bustling even in the darkest hours. Karyl stood on a hill, enjoying the refreshing night breeze, looking down below.
It was the hill where he had once practiced magic. The traces of fire and frost had long since vanished, but the charred wooden pillars still stood, a testament to the passage of time.
“Aidan,” Karyl spoke into the darkness, where no one seemed to be.
“Yes, my lord. You seem so different now. I’m almost scared to approach you,” a hushed voice replied, almost like a shadow.
Karyl chuckled at his words.
“And you. You’ve improved your stealth technique. I can barely sense you from twenty steps away.”
“Haha... twenty steps, you say?”
Aidan gave a bitter smile at Karyl’s compliment, which felt more like a critique. As an assassin, he was supposed to remain undetected until the very last moment, and being noticed from twenty steps away was embarrassing.
Once again, Aidan was reminded of the gap between him and Karyl.
“The lord’s mansion was quite lively.”
“Well, it’s not like they witness the birth of a 6th Class sorcerer every weekend, right?”
Fortunately, the commotion caused by the lightning strike at the mansion was resolved by Fasio, whose conclusion was that an unusual natural disaster had occurred in the mana-rich city.
Of course, many sorcerers were skeptical, but no one dared to oppose the decision of Fasio Han, the highest-ranked sorcerer and lord of Azor.
“Not even the Great Sorcerers caused such a massive storm when they reached the 6th Class.” Aidan shrugged. “Congratulations on your achievement.”
He then bowed, and for a brief moment, a hint of envy flashed across his face.
“Congrats to you too. It’s good to see we’ve both achieved something. A lot of time has passed, eh? Who would’ve thought we’d end up like this when we first met in the lawless port?”
“You’re right. But it feels like you knew I would end up as your subordinate.” Aidan gave a wry smile.
“You probably heard that an envoy from the Eastern Land came.”
“Yes, that’s part of why I’m here. I heard you drove them away. Who was it?”
“They kept their face covered, and their voice was altered with some technique.”
Aidan nodded.
“That’s typical. The envoys keep their identities hidden according to the rules of the Eastern Land.”
“They seemed skilled with needles,” Karyl added. “The belt they wore had eighty-nine needles embedded in it.”
“...You noticed that?”
Aidan was slightly bewildered by Karyl’s precise count.
“Yep.”
Seeing him respond so casually, Aidan chuckled.
Counting all those needles in a matter of seconds seemed absurd. In fact, Karyl had merely guessed based on the shape of the envoy’s belt. He had some history with the Eastern Land in his previous life, particularly with their leader, Simon Coden, with whom he had clashed several times.
Through those encounters, Karyl had fought many assassins from the Burning Darkness. As the envoys of the Eastern Land were also from the Burning Darkness, Karyl could estimate their skill and rank.
“If what you said is true... eighty-nine needles likely means that envoy was an assassin of the 3rd rank in the Burning Darkness. There aren’t many of them.”
“How high is the 3rd rank?”
“It’s a very high rank for the assassins of the Burning Darkness. There might be around ten members. The Burning Darkness is divided into seven ranks, with only one person inheriting each rank.”
“Hmm... So, there are two higher ranks. They didn’t reveal their strength, but I could tell they were above a Sword Expert.”
“They might have used the initial stage of Shadow Arts. If they’re 3rd rank, they likely began learning it. But trying to exert such pressure on you was foolish. They probably don’t realize how lucky they were to walk out of there alive.”
“Shadow Arts?” Karyl asked, intrigued.
“It’s the highest secret art of the Eastern Land. Only those from the 3rd rank can start learning it. Even mastering the first stage can give power comparable to a Sword Master.”
“Hmm...”
“The second stage is taught only to the inheritor of the Burning Darkness, and the third stage is known only by the ruler of the Eastern Land.”
“An art comparable to a Sword Master’s power... The secret techniques of the Eastern Land are indeed fascinating.” Karyl nodded slowly.
If it were simply about unifying the continent, you would be right. However, true strength comes not from orders, but from people rising voluntarily under one banner to defend themselves.
For Karyl, the unification of the continent, which not even its pioneers had achieved, was just another milestone.
“Do you think the ruler of the Eastern Land will listen to you?” Aidan asked.
“You just need to deliver my message. And one more thing.”
“What?”
“As part of the alliance, demand they hand over the Shadow Arts. You will learn them.”
“...”
Aidan’s face hardened at Karyl’s words.
“You might as well just tell me to go die,” he said in disbelief. It was so absurd he couldn’t even laugh.
“Do I need to repeat myself? It’s not a joke. Besides, it would be good if you could spar with Simon Coden. With your keen eyes, you might learn something.”
“And then die, right?”
“Since you’re going as an envoy, you might lose an arm, but they probably won’t kill you.”
“...Are you serious?”
“No, that was a joke.”
Karyl snorted at Aidan’s serious expression.
“Listen, I’m sending you on this mission because I trust you. What, you have so little faith in yourself that you think you’d just die like that? If that were the case, I wouldn’t have wanted you in the first place,” Karyl explained with a stern face.
“Just like you said, from the moment I first saw you in the lawless port, I wanted to have you. And you didn’t disappoint. But you know, don’t you? You’re only chasing after the ones you thought you were starting on the same line with.”
“...”
“Listen, I’m not telling you to be some mentor. But if you’re truly great, you should be able to teach your stealth technique to others, right?”
Karyl looked him in the eye.
“Just so you know, Mikhail had passed the Book of Challenges in Antihum.”
Aidan bit his lip slightly.
“I simply haven’t had the opportunity.”
“You’re right.”
As if waiting for that answer, Karyl looked at him.
“Then prove your worth. If you do, I’ll show you a realm even Simon Coden couldn’t reach.”
“...!”
At that, Aidan’s face stiffened.
The true pinnacle of the Shadow Arts...?
It was something he had never considered. The Shadow Arts of the Burning Darkness, divided into three stages, were among the most enigmatic abilities on the continent.
However, during the Oracle War, Karyl had not only exchanged blows with Simon Coden but also witnessed his fights numerous times.
And he had concluded one thing.
Simon Coden, the ruler of the Eastern Land, hasn’t mastered the Shadow Arts. There’s a higher stage.
The fourth and ultimate stage.
Unfortunately, survival was the priority back then, leaving no time to explore it.
In any case, Karyl had not been neglecting Aidan all this time, quite the opposite. He had already proven himself in his past life.
“I’m giving you a chance.”
He had merely stirred up Aidan’s competitive spirit.
“Come back with the Shadow Arts. This is not a suggestion. It’s an order.”
“...”
Aidan unwittingly clenched his fist even tighter. This was his first mission. He nodded slowly and disappeared back into the shadows.