The Hunt.

Sitting in front of a fireplace, wearing a long shawl with a hood to hide his face. Shadow held a long stick in hand.

He watched the flames dance around freely as they eagerly ate up the wood. Burning everything to cinders.

It was almost time.

He placed his hands in front of him, embracing the warmth of the fire.

Steel daggers hung from his waist, a short sword by his side and throwing knives placed hidden in several pockets.

He closed his eyes and spread his shadow sense.

More than a dozen, about sixteen people.

He felt their shadows as they drew closer to him. Closer to their death.

He smiled out of habit, then frowned.

A feeling of disgust washed over him. Shadow had no problem being a killer or a hired assassin. But being forced to do it?

That was something else entirely, that was how he had lived his past life and how had it ended?

He sighed.

'Hopefully I won't mess it up in this life'. He stood up from the fireplace and walked towards the vault. He knew what lay beyond.

Things that didn't interest him much. Money, Lots, and lots of money.

Most were illegal, stolen and debts that hadn't been paid. That was the kind of man Lord Draven was.

But Shadow didn't care much, he had seen his kind more times than he cared to count.

It was simply human to want more and more.

He felt at the steel doors, rubbing at them calmly, his fingers rubbing the rim until it reached the shadows being cast by the fireplace.

He became one with it. Losing his solid form and melting into shadows.

It was time to hunt.

He slid through the openings and cracks around. The castle. In the few days that the Lord had told him what he expected of him, Lord Draven had given him full authority to the castle as he pleased.

He studied every single point of the structure until he could draw it from mind.

He arrived at the front gates of the castle. The guards who had been posted there lay dead on the ground. Their throats had been slit.

Sighs

'Poor fools'.

He returned into his human form and began searching around. It seemed the men had divided themselves into groups.

Very strategic and simple.

He heard a sound in the distance. A whispering of some sort. He crept over quietly.

The sounds came from the stables, it seems the men who had been sent to kill were thinking of ways to infiltrate the castle.

Just above the stables was a window leading to the rooms, a long rope and a pickaxe would do the trick.

He walked closer to the assailants. They never heard him.

"I'm telling you it's faster this way…" A burly man said, he carried a battleaxe on his back, he was squat with strong arms and a hairy body.

'Hmm, a crossbreed between a human and a dwarf?'

"No, I'm telling you it's too obvious, we could get shot down by arrows if we're spotted" said another man, this one was tall and lean with a bow on his back, his Fletcher was full of arrows.

"Or you could just follow the front door like a respectable human being?" Shadow answered. He was just two meters behind them.

They all turned in shock and looked at him.

"Who are you?" The half dwarf asked him, bringing his battleaxe in front of him, it was double handed.

He couldn't get hit by that weapon, he could sense traces of magic on it.

"Aah, well, if you really want to know. I'm an assassin who got reincarnated into this world and well, the man who fathered me calls me a bastard and tells me to kill a number of guys in his estate before I gain my freedom" he said truthfully.

'Ahh, that felt good'.

Because Shadow couldn't finish his statement, the lanky archer notched an arrow and sent it flying towards his face.

Shadow caught the arrow by the stem, breaking it in half with his bare hands.

"At least let a man finish" he groaned.

The half dwarf attacked next, he swung his axe at Shadow, sending a slight wave of energy towards him.

'An Aura user?'

Shadow was surprised. Momentarily.

'Who the fuck did that man burrow money from to send an Aura user to kill him?'

In this group, there were four, he didn't bother much with the remaining two, one was a healer and the other seemed to be just plain.

Shadow dashed forward with blinding speed, but the half dwarf reacted faster, bringing his axe in front of him to block the attack.

The force of their attacks sent out a wave of energy, everyone within a hundred meters radius would know they were in battle.

Shadow couldn't waste any more time. He still had two more groups to go after.

"For someone so young, you are strong. Tell me, is it true that Lord Draven had a Bastard son such as you?" The half dwarf asked while they were locked in combat.

Shadow pulled away as he dodged another two arrows shot in his direction, these were mana Infused.

Great, an aura user and a mana archer. Just fun.

"Well I wouldn't go so far to say that we have a father and son relationship, but he brought me to this world" Shadow replied.

"Then cease this nonsense, surely you know the kind of man your father is, join us, we shall slay him and grant you freedom" the harf dwarf offered.

A really tempting offer. Shadow almost took it.

"If I joined you, would you take responsibility for my treason?" Shadow asked as he was being circled by both the archer and the half dwarf.

"Hmmm…" The dwarf responded. "To the death then, I bear you no ill, boy" the half dwarf said almost regrettably.

Shadow nodded and dug his hands into his pockets. He was sure now, these men were going to kill him if he posed as a threat to their mission.

He sighed Inwardly, he didn't like meaningless deaths.

He brought out four throwing knives and flung them at the two women who stood by the side, he covered the knives with shadows so it couldn't be seen.

The ordinary woman blocked it out of reflex.

Impressive.

But the healer…

She held her throat and dropped to her knees as she choked on her blood. Her eyes looked at Shadow's with shock as she tried healing herself and pulling the knife out from her throat.

But, she dropped dead!