Chapter 7: A Hundred ways to kill a beast

The time had come. The moonless night, a canvas of inky blackness, was the perfect cloak for my mission. I donned my black clothing, the hood concealing my face, blending me into the shadows. My small, three-inch knife, sharp and deadly, felt like an extension of my hand. In my pockets, I carried the hallucinating potions and needles, the tools of my trade. The Developers had crafted a blowdart for me, a silent weapon that would deliver the poison with deadly accuracy. My equipment, light and dark, was designed for a smooth execution.

I had planned with the Blender, a merchant disguised as an ordinary peddler, to pass near Vasili's mansion. Traveling in his cart, I would slip out when we were close enough. It was a risky move, but necessary. Wearing all black, with a hood, would make me a target of suspicion.

The plan went smoothly. I found myself standing outside the mansion, a fortress of stone and iron, guarded by a legion of men. I hid myself in the nearest bush, watching the guards patrol, their movements predictable, their senses dulled by routine. I didn't need useless bloodshed. The only blood I wanted to see was Vasili's.

Climbing the wall was risky, but a distraction would do. I threw a rock into the bushes near the guards, drawing their attention. They rushed to investigate, their eyes searching for the source of the disturbance. I slipped inside, my movements silent, my steps light.

I reached a corner, a thick bush providing me with cover. I closed my eyes, touched the earth, grounding myself, allowing my senses to sharpen. I could hear the guards patrolling, the servants bustling in the kitchen, the intricate workings of the house, the footsteps of people moving through the hallways, the guards chatting outside the mansion. I could feel the house, its energy, its secrets. I knew where to go, an area with fewer people and guards.

I extinguished the lights, my movements careful, my senses alert. I searched for Vasili, his room, his presence.

Then, a man emerged from a room, his voice a low murmur. "Will that be all, Viscount Vasili?"

A man's face peeked out from the doorway, a face I couldn't forget. The face that had smiled when Duke Vinzenzo died. The face that had looked at me with malice, pointing a finger at me, accusing me of the Duke's murder.

"Vasili," I whispered, my voice a cold, deadly hiss, "your life is mine to take."

I moved to the next room, parallel to his, and opened the window. I jumped onto the balcony, my movements silent, my steps sure. I opened the window, careful not to make a sound, while Vasili was still talking to the man at the door. I slipped inside, moving into the darkest corner of the room.

But what I saw next stopped me cold. There, in Vasili's bed, lay a woman, unconscious, her face pale and still. Had he found a new victim? Had he already taken another life?

How could I kill this animal? How could I end his reign of terror? The woman's presence, her vulnerability, her silent suffering, filled me with a rage I had never known before.

This was not just an assassination. This was a rescue. This was a fight for justice. And I, Adi, the shadow, the warrior, was ready to fight.

My plan, to make Vasili drink the hallucinating potion and knock him off the balcony, was out the window. The woman in his bed, unconscious and vulnerable, made my task infinitely more complex. I couldn't risk killing him here, not with her as a witness. She would be labeled a suspect, another innocent victim caught in the crosshairs of a corrupt system. I wouldn't let her suffer the same fate as me, rotting in a prison, awaiting execution.

I surveyed the room, my eyes scanning the details. Bottles of wine littered the floor, their contents spilled, a testament to Vasili's debauchery. Edgy corners on his furniture, potential weapons, potential traps. There were a hundred ways to kill a beast, a hundred ways to end his reign of terror.

Vasili closed the door, his footsteps heavy on the carpet, his intentions clear. He was going to the woman.

I stepped out from the shadows, my hand gripping the other end of the carpet. Vasili's feet were on the wet, slippery part of the carpet, his weight shifting, his balance precarious. I pulled the carpet, a swift, decisive motion, sending him tumbling forward. His head slammed against the edge of the bed, the impact a sickening thud. He crumpled to the floor, unconscious.

A wave of emotions washed over me. This was the first life I had taken, the first time I had tasted the bitter sweetness of vengeance. Memories flooded my mind, a torrent of pain and anger. My life as a slave, the Duke's kindness, the hours spent in the library, the Duke's trust, his need for my help, his death in my arms, the celebration of evil, the false accusations, the years of training, the relentless pursuit of justice.

This was for the Duke. This was for my savior.

While Vasili lay unconscious, I grabbed his head, my grip firm, my movements precise. I slammed his head against the floor, again and again, until there was no movement, no breath, no life.

I took the woman, her unconscious form a weight in my arms. I wrapped her in Vasili's dark patterned curtain, a makeshift shroud. Escape was difficult, especially with a burden in my arms. But I moved with the grace and agility of a shadow, my senses sharp, my movements silent.

I slipped out of the mansion, my heart pounding in my chest. I carried the woman to the central plaza, a bustling hub of activity. I laid her down, her unconscious form a testament to the cruelty of the world. She was safe, for now.

My mission was complete. My vengeance was served. But the fight for justice was far from over. There were more monsters to hunt, more lives to save. I was Adi, the shadow, the warrior, the hope. And I would continue to fight, until the darkness was banished, and the light of justice shone bright.

The city of Caidiz, bathed in the pale light of dawn, was a testament to the duality of human nature. Beauty and ugliness, kindness and cruelty, life and death. I was a part of that duality, a shadow in the light, a warrior in the darkness. And I would continue to walk the line, until the world was a better place.