Shadows and Blood

The night was eerily quiet.

Ethan stood on the castle's outer walls, gazing at the darkened forest beyond. A strange feeling gnawed at his instincts.

His system had strengthened his mind and body, but something deeper—the instincts of the Heavenly Demon King—warned him of danger.

Then, he saw it.

A flicker of movement in the shadows.

The guards patrolling the walls noticed nothing, their eyes scanning the empty landscape. But Ethan's gaze sharpened.

They were already inside the castle.

A faint gust of wind. A flicker of metal.

Ethan dropped to the ground just as a black-clad figure lunged from above, a dagger slicing through the air where his throat had been.

Assassins.

The guards barely had time to react before a second figure emerged, slitting one man's throat in an instant.

Ethan's blood ran cold.

These weren't ordinary killers.

[Appraisal Activated]

[Enemy Identified: Silent Moon Assassins]Affiliation: Unknown Threat Level: High Specialization: Stealth & Instant Kill Techniques

More figures emerged from the shadows, their blades gleaming under the moonlight.

They weren't just here for the Baron family.

They were here for him.

Ethan's grip tightened around Shadowfang Blade.

If they wanted a fight, they'd get one.

The first assassin lunged, his dagger aimed at Ethan's heart.

Ethan inhaled sharply.

[Phantom Veil Activated.]

His body blurred, flickering like a mirage. The assassin's dagger sliced through empty air, hitting only a ghostly afterimage.

Before his attacker could recover, Ethan twisted behind him—and struck.

Shadowfang Blade bit deep into the assassin's ribs.

The man gasped, staggering back, his eyes wide with disbelief.

A noble child shouldn't move like this.

Another assassin lunged from the side. Ethan sidestepped effortlessly, his body flowing like water, his movements enhanced by both magic and martial skill.

He was faster. Deadlier. Unpredictable.

And he was just getting started.

The remaining assassins hesitated. Their plan had been to eliminate an easy target, not face a monster in human form.

Then—a new voice echoed through the night.

"That's enough."

A cloaked figure stepped forward, different from the assassins. His aura was cold and overwhelming—far stronger than the ones Ethan had just slain.

Ethan's muscles tensed.

This was no ordinary killer.

[Appraisal Failed – Target's Level Too High.]

A smirk crossed the figure's lips.

"Impressive," he said. "The rumors were wrong. You're not weak at all."

Ethan's eyes narrowed. Who sent them?

Before he could demand answers, the figure vanished in a blur of speed, leaving only the bodies of the fallen assassins behind.

Whoever had ordered the attack… wasn't done with him yet.

After the battle, Ethan returned to his room, his thoughts racing.

His Phantom Veil had worked beautifully, but against a truly powerful enemy? He needed more.

He opened his System Library, scrolling through the techniques stored inside. A new function had appeared.

[System Library – Memory Reconstruction Available]Allows the user to recover lost martial arts or magic techniques from their past life. Requires combat experience and sufficient synchronization with past self.

Ethan's breath hitched.

He could recover his lost abilities.

And next time, when another enemy came for him…

He'd be ready.