Chapter 162: The Reaper's Invitation

  Where there is light, there is darkness.

  The Holy Nation is a vast aiful nd, but that does not make it a paradise. Wherever humans gather, darkness and evil iably follow. Even the Holy Nation is no exception.

  Keha City.

  Located at the border, this city defied the stern and serious demeanor typical of froowns. Instead, its elegant architecture and sprawling vils gave it the appearance of a luxurious resort. Verdant mountains, pristiers, streets, and t walls painted a picture of wealth and tranquility.

  But today, the tranquility was shattered by soldiers marg with an air of menace.

  “They're here again.”

  In a dimly lit tavern, a man in beered as he watched the heavily armed soldiers pass by oreet. Raising his mug, he took a sip of ale before letting out a cold ugh.

  “Look at them. Don’t they remind you of a pack of dogs let loose by their master?”

  “What choice do they have? Word is, the city lord’s useless sohis time.”

  The woman sittio him shook her head, her tned yet tinged with amusement.

  “How did he die this time?”

  “I heard he actally fell from a baly.”

  The woman’s eyes gleamed with meaning as she added, “Plenty of witoo.”

  “Ah, yes...”

  The man in bck chuckled darkly at her reply. “Acts happen everywhere. Our dear Reaper sure knows how to work his magic.”

  “Keep your voice down, you idiot.”

  The woman stomped on his foot, cutting his amusement short and leaving him grimag.

  “Do you know nothing about discretion? That rumor may be just a rumor, but it’s irely baseless. Watch your tongue, or the ‘act’ might befall you!”

  At her words, the man immediately straightened, his face turning serious as he fell silent.

  To uand this situation, one must go back to the events surrounding the "Death Exge" half a month ago.

  In Keha City, there was a rumored "Death Exge." trary to its ominous was her a gathering of neancers nor ected to hell. Instead, it was a dark marketpce where assassins gathered. Assassins from all fas—or those unaffiliated—accepted tracts here to elimiheir targets. Everything was ducted in strict secrecy. Requests were pinned on specially treated wooden boards, accessible only to assassins. The Death Exge also maintained a strict hierarchy, where successful assassins rose in rank and gained access to more dangerous tracts.

  Half a month ago, an unknown assassin took on a tract to elimihe city's guard captain.

  Initially, it seemed insignifit. The guard captain’s death a day ter barely raised suspi. He wasn’t ambushed on the way home, nor did he vanish into some shadowy alley. Instead, after getting drunk, he stumbled off the city wall and nded headfirst in front of a crowd.

  That was the end of it.

  No one paid much attention. The guard captain was a minure known for his drinking habits, so his death was dismissed as a on act. It was assumed that he had stepped on a loose stone and lost his bance.

  But then, the tract reappeared at the Death Exge, marked as pleted.

  This revetion sparked intrigue. The Death Exge had its methods. Their top prophecy mage iigated the guard captain’s death and firmed it as an act.

  Satisfied that no fraud had occurred, the Death Exge dismissed the matter, assuming the assassin had simply gotten lucky whearget tally died. The case was closed, and the tract revoked.

  Then, something strange began to happen.

  A series of tracts were accepted, and each target died under peculiar circumstances—acts, to be precise. Each time, the tracts were returo the Death Exge for firmation, and every iigation yielded the same result: actal death.

  One or two cases could be dismissed as ce, but a pattern of "actal deaths" within a short time was anything but.

  The leadership of the Death Exge wasn’t foolish. Their prophecy mage, a legendary figure, failed to detey signs of foul py. But how was this possible?

  This world’s assassins were formidable, but they were still bound by certain rules. They thrived in patiend precise strikes from the shadows, waiting months for the perfeent to elimiheir targets. While they employed cursed ons and magic to bypass defehey still relied on their own hands to strike the final blow.

  But this assassin? No one ever saw them act, and no one knew how they did it.

  The only certainty was this: wherever their targets were, death followed. And it looked like an act every time.

  Assassins in this world typically relied on specialized teiques to ceal themselves. Moreover, they wouldn’t casually reveal their astral marks. In other words, everyone uood that assassinatioaking pce, but the assassin’s identity always remained a mystery.

  However, the as of this particur "assassin" had transded the bounds of traditional assassination.

  This felt more like a decration from Death itself.

  At first, the Death Exge didn’t pay much attention to this "assassin." Their targets, while holding respectable positions, were not particurly powerful. It seemed pusible that someone signifitly stronger was merely toying with them for amusement.

  But when a high-ranking mage from a promi family was assassihe situatioed dramatically.

  Acc to the iigation, the mage died after a sudden misfire while casting a spell, resulting in a catastrophic backsh. There were no signs of mental trol, and priests from the Temple firmed that the body was her poisoned nor influenced by mind-altering substances.

  In most pces, su i would be dismissed as a rare mishap by a high-level mage.

  But the Death Exge saw things differently.

  Before the mage’s death, their assassination tract had been taken by the so-called "Reaper."

  When the mage was decred dead, the tract was returo the Death Exge for firmation.

  This revetion stuhe anization’s leaders.

  To the untrained eye, assassins might seem to have an edge es. Iy, assassins dreaded fag high-ranking mages above all. These mages often prepared tingencies, yering themselves with defensive spells for emergencies. Whether through poison, ambush, or maniputing those around the mage, most assassination attempts failed miserably. If a mage was on guard, it was invariably the assassin who met their demise.

  For seasoned assassins, taking on high-level warriors, swordmasters, or even druids was a safer bet. Against mages, success depended entirely on lud luck was rarely on their side.

  Yet, this "assassin" had mao kill a high-ranking mage with ease and in a manner so bizarre that no one could determine how it was done.

  The Death Exge’s curiosity turo arm. Even more so when its most formidable trio—a legendary prophet, a legendary assassin, and a legendary thief—statiohemselves at the board where tracts were takeermio catch the culprit.

  Then came a terrifying moment.

  A new tract silently vanished. Shortly after, the target died under "actal" circumstances, and the tract was returo the Death Exge for firmatioe the vigince of the three legendary figures, they noticed absolutely nothing.

  This implied that the "Reaper" had bypassed the bined efforts of a powerful prophet, a master assassin, and a legendary thief, entering aing the Death Exge with impunity—pletely ued.

  Was this even humanly possible?

  As rumors of the "Invisible Reaper" spread within the Death Exge, fear gripped the underworld. Some even bribed assassins to reveal the Reaper’s argets, hoping to iigate or prevent the deaths. Yet, their efforts proved futile.

  "The Invisible Reaper?"

  The armored sheriff looked up at his pale subordinate.

  "Wasn’t that just a simple act? You and I both wit, didn’t we?"

  "Of course, Sir …"

  The servant, sweating nervously, nodded in agreement.

  "As you said, we were both present at the ball and saw the entire… absurd event."

  The servant’s face twisted into a mixture of fear and disdain. The deceased son of the city lord had been a notorious debauchee, infamous for harassing women. During the ball, the lord’s son had attempted to forcibly take a maidservant after failing to seduce her. In the scuffle, he stepped on the slick floor, lost his bance, and crashed into the sed-floor baly railing. The poorly maintained railing gave way, and he fell to his death in front of everyone.

  Sir had seen it all. As a retired knight of the Temple, he’d been about to intervene before the fool’s idiocy resolved the situation on its own.

  The city lord’s son had been so despised that his death ractically a cause for celebration. Were it not for the city lord’s status, the townsfolk would have throarade to rejoice.

  But now, the city lord was demanding an iigation into a "Reaper"?

  What kind of nonsense was this?

  (End of Chapter)

  ?? Unlock the World of Stories with Early Access on Patreon! ??

  Hello, beloved readers and supporters!

  I am thrilled to offer you an exclusive opportunity to dive deeper into our captivating stories before anyone else. By joining the Patreon unity, you'll unlock a treasure trove of bes, including:

  ?? Early Access to 20 Chapters: Be the first to explore neters, experieng the twists and turns of our tales well ahead ur readers. Your jourhrough our stories doesn't have to wait!

  ?? ect with the unity: Join a vibrant, like-minded group of readers who share your passion. Engage iing discussions, share theories, and make new friends who love the stories as much as you do.

  ?? Support the Creator: Your patronage directly tributes to the ongoing creation and improvement of the tent you love. Be a vital part of the creative journey!

  Patreon./anish_44

  https://ko-fi./anish_44