BXBX NOVEL Chapter 178: Ashen Assassin
"Ashen Society members?" Enzo asked.
"It seems your information is quite up-to-date. Unfortunately, of all the people you could have offended, you had to offend Lord Charles. Lord Charles has put out a reward of 500 gold Kafens for us to take your head." one of them replied.
Upon hearing this, Enzo asked, "My bounty is only 500 gold Kafens?"
Having been in the Dark Night Forest for two or three days, Enzo was well aware of the value of gold Kafens.
To ordinary people, 500 gold Kafens was indeed an astronomical sum, but for supernatural beings, hunting a giant could yield that much.
Of course, the prerequisite was to have enough luck.
The Ashen Society's assassins were momentarily stunned, not expecting Enzo to ask such a question.
However, they didn't continue the idle chatter.
Their task was to kill the person in front of them and claim the reward.
"Attack!"
With the command, the assassins' figures vanished, blending into the shadows.
Enzo was quite familiar with this scene.
On the night Mona led him out, members of the Ice Moon Royal Family's Shadow Corps had also done this, able to conceal themselves within the shadows.
However, Shadow Corps members could only operate at night.
But the Ashen Society members could act during the day as well.
Wait!
A smile appeared on Enzo's face as he detected the peculiarities between the two.
Time was not the key. Shadows were the key.
He had just noticed that his vision had darkened because someone had used a special ability to cover the surroundings with shadows, allowing the Ashen Society assassins to conceal themselves.
How can we break through this shadow domain?
Enzo had an idea.
He conjured several fireballs that floated in the air, rapidly expanding and striking the shadow domain, causing explosions and revealing a figure.
The entire shadow domain dissipated.
The Ashen Society assassins, who had been preparing for an ambush, were stunned.
"Kid, how did you find out?"
The revealed figure asked Enzo with a grim face. Enzo remained silent but sensed a familiar aura from the person—a signature of the Shadow Corps.
This suggested that the person was also a Shadow Corps member.
This meant Ashen Society and the Ice Moon Royal Family were linked.
Things were becoming increasingly complex. The power dynamics in Dark Night Forest were indeed a mess.
Enzo thought to himself.
Enzo looked at the person and asked, "Are you a Shadow Corps member?"
Upon hearing this, the figure's face changed drastically, and he shouted to his subordinates, "Kill this kid at all costs!"
Enzo's guess was correct.
After getting the information he wanted, Enzo took action.
To the astonished eyes of the Ashen assassins, Enzo's figure vanished directly under the sunlight.
"He escaped?"
An Ashen assassin asked in confusion.
The next moment, one of his companions suddenly collapsed to the ground.His cause of death was a strangulation of his neck.
The horrifying scene made the Ashen assassins shudder with fear.
However, one person was incredibly excited.
As Enzo effortlessly took down the other assassins and prepared to finish off the Shadow Corps member, the excited individual asked, "How did you manage to perfectly conceal your presence?"
Enzo was taken aback by the person's enthusiasm and asked, "Do you really want to know?"
The person eagerly replied, "Yes!"
He then introduced himself, "I am Harald, the captain of the Ashen Squad of the Shadow Corps under the Ice Moon Royal Family, and also the president of the Ashen Society!"
Enzo was even more surprised to learn that Harald was just a squad leader.
He asked deliberately, "Why should I tell you?"
Harald answered solemnly, "For the sake of preventing the world from being destroyed."
This answer left Enzo stunned.
He scrutinized Harald, who was a middle-aged man with a thick beard and large eyebrows, giving him an overall rather rugged appearance. Yet, this man was a squad leader in the Shadow Corps and the notorious president of the Ashen Society, now proclaiming slogans about saving the world…
It was all so absurd!
Harald, realizing this, explained, "Moon Tide is occurring frequently. We need to study the power of shadows, delve into Moon Tide, and uncover the truth behind it to prevent impending disaster."
Upon hearing this, Enzo asked, "Then why did you target Mona?"
Harald inquired, "Are you referring to the princess of the Solar Dynasty?"
Enzo confirmed, "Yes!"
"Because her bloodline is pure Solar Dynasty, we need her blood to purify the monsters in Moon Tide. After we resolve Moon Tide, we'll explain her sacrifice to everyone!" Harald insisted with a righteous look.
Enzo shook his head and said, "You're lying. "
Enzo continued, "I was there the day Mona was surrounded and killed by the Shadow Corps. They said they wanted to destroy the entire Solar Dynasty."
Harald's face changed. "A traitor among us! This wasn't the original plan!"
But Enzo was no longer interested in listening to Harald continue. He realized that the person in front of him was a brainwashed fanatic. But just as Enzo was about to take action to end Harald's life, Harald shouted loudly, "No, I can't die before stopping Moon Tide!"
In the next moment, Enzo's vision darkened briefly before returning.
Then Harald vanished.
Enzo felt a faint spatial ripple.
"Rescued?" he muttered.
Not dwelling on it, Enzo quickly left before others could notice and headed to the tavern.
Inside, many people were still drinking.
Upon seeing Enzo, several faces changed, but everyone pretended not to notice.
Unfazed by the odd atmosphere, Enzo went straight to the tavern's second floor. With Norma's orders, the staff didn't dare stop him and could only marvel at Enzo's fortune for catching Norma's eye.
"What's the matter?"
Norma, noticing Enzo's arrival in the lounge, asked with curiosity.
Enzo sat down, opened a bottle of fruit wine, and asked, "Norma, do you know anything about the Ice Moon Royal Family and the Moon Tide?"
Norma's expression shifted slightly as she took a sip of fruit wine, her tone growing somber. "I was once a member of the Ice Moon Royal Family, but I left and haven't returned or kept up with their current state. However, one thing is clear: behind every royal family are blood-soaked corpses. If you encounter those royals, don't offend them unless you have enough power."
"Of course, you can request my help."
"Give me a little time, and I can assist you with anything."
Norma added, seductively lowering her neckline to reveal more of her white skin.
Without hesitation, Enzo took a firm hold and pressed Norma onto the bench but did not go further. Instead, he asked, "What about Moon Tide?"
Norma continued, "No one knows its exact origin. Many have tried to enter Moon Tide."
"Were there any successes?" Enzo inquired.
"Yes!" Norma replied confidently.
She sat up, took another sip of fruit wine, and said,"The leader of the Solar Dynasty once entered Moon Tide. Though he was injured, he survived and came back with many treasures, making the Solar Dynasty the most powerful tribe in the Dark Night Forest."
"Later, many tried, but they all failed."
"No one knows if anyone has ever succeeded before, as there are few effective records about Moon Tide."
Norma said. "But it's clear now that Moon Tide is appearing more frequently, and certain established rules are failing. For instance, the last time Moon Tide appeared in the Gathering Place, which had never happened before."
Norma's concern was evident.
Although she had left the Ice Moon Royal Family, she was still worried about the safety of the Ice Moon Royal Family.
The information Norma provided gave Enzo more insight into the Dark Night Forest, but it was not enough to sway his intentions.
Enzo was not interested in getting involved in royal affairs at all.
His primary purpose for coming to the Dark Night Forest was self-improvement.
He also intended to find the Elven people, return the two Elven Tree seeds, and undergo the Elves Spring ritual.
After that, he planned to go to Snow Fox Territory to retrieve Amy.
With that in mind, Enzo shifted the topic. "I remember you mentioned before that Melissa wanted you to teach me some spatial abilities."
Norma gave him a sidelong glance. "You're quite impatient."
Without further ado, she opened a spatial portal and called out, "Follow me."
The familiar scene made Enzo cautious.
Norma, however, took no notice of his apprehension and pulled him into the portal. This time, they did not arrive at a palace but at a very peculiar location.
They emerged on a floating small island enveloped by a gigantic bubble.
The island was starkly empty except for a pitch-black fissure in the center of the ground, giving it a desolate appearance.
Enzo asked, "Where is this?"
Norma, with a serious expression, replied, "A natural spatial rift."