45 Mission

"Your mission is simple!" Dominic yelled while looking at the recruits in front of him. "You have learned many things. Use the knowledge and the skills you have gained, make the Assassination Academy proud!" His tone was fierce, one that befits of his position as an Academy's dean.

"You just have to infiltrate the Udanem Kingdom and find what they are planning!" When the recruits heard the dean, they thought he was joking. However, his serious expression confirmed that he wasn't. Just as despair was filling them, Dominic continued, "don't worry. I am not sending you without backup!" He gestured at the one behind him, and only then did they see who it was. Once the students saw him, their eyes grew wide as they bowed.

Xue Mo stood behind Dominic listening to him, his mission was different than those around, yet he didn't say anything. Dominic didn't know that he just started cultivation, and if it weren't for his experience and his Shadow Soul Pressure, he would have been in the same state as the ones in front of him.

Lu Yao was lazily yawning, even with her being in her peak form. She got used to being lazy and drained of energy, and as they say, habits are hard to change. Xue Mo just waited for Dominic to finish his speech. As he did so, he remembered his conversation with his Hesroth,

***

Even when he agreed to do a mission, Xue Mo didn't ask about what it was about till now, and when he heard what it entails, he almost got mad.

"So, you want me to go and assassinate someone?" Xue Mo asked emotionlessly. He thought he was going to test his power, not assassinate. The assassination was easy to him, but he wanted to go all out without using his Shadow Soul Pressure.

"No, no." Hesroth shook his head. "I want you to go and find out what the strongest person in the Udanem kingdom's level is!" He knew that Xue Mo misunderstood, and from the sudden change of tone, sweat already filled his back. 'Indeed, I shouldn't anger a Divine one!'

"Do you have any estimation of what that level is?"

"From our research, it should be around 270!" Hesroth's tone was severe. That level was almost reaching someone a higher world should possess. Why would someone like that appear in this world and stay?

"Approaching the Magic Grandmaster level?" Xue Mo was surprised. Over this time, he read all the books that he could find, and one of them spoke about the levels and their names in the system.

"Yes, and not only that. We suspect that a higher world is interfering, so there might even be more danger!" Hesroth's tone turned even graver. He wasn't worried about Xue Mo as even if he couldn't finish these people with his cultivation, killing them with the power that he showed was easy.

Xue Mo got interested. He didn't have fun in a battle ever since he fought Lu Yao when they met. He started feeling his battle sense dulling. He needed a good life and death battle to reawaken him. He was the Sage of Nightmares, someone who got everything through battles and killing. No one had ever given him anything. Everything that he owned was gained by himself.

This is also why when Hesroth and the Dark Arts sect provided him with stuff, he felt gratitude. Yet, he still wanted to use them for his experiments as that is his nature.

Hesroth waited for Xue Mo to agree. And soon, he saw the changes happening to the Divine one in front of him. It was as if the mention of a battle that could kill him had reawakened some monster. And it did. The one and only, Sage of Nightmares, was slowly coming to light. The plight of the Divine Hell Universe would soon be unleashed.

"Let's go!" Xue Mo said before starting to move. His tone was blood and battle thirsty. Even Lu Yao was surprised.

***

"Teacher Mo please take care of us!" The seven students in front of him yelled in unison. Some of them looked older than him, but they didn't mind. They knew that age and looks didn't determine strength, and Xue Mo was strong.

Nodding his head to make them shut up, Xue Mo looked at Dominic. He nodded at him, which surprised the latter. He didn't know that Xue Mo could be so amiable even after what he did last time. Wishing the eight luck, he, Declan, and Sarah bid them off.

Xue Mo led the way as he memorized it. He took them the same way Myzer and Hiari used when they led him here. After going all the way to the surface, everyone shielded their eyes. Even if they had a Magic Formation that lit the Academy, it still couldn't compare to the real sun.

They adjusted their eyes to the sun after not seeing it for so long. They waited for Xue Mo to lead the way. He looked at the map, and after memorizing the places that everyone, he and Lu Yao included, had to go, Xue Mo bolted in the south direction.

He was going to the Udanem Kingdom. Everyone in the group could feel his battle intent, it was rare and almost impossible for someone to make it corporeal, yet they could swear that they almost saw a sea of blood in front of their eyes when they looked at his sprinting back.

***

Xue Mo took the fastest way that the map showed, and in a month, they have arrived at the Udanem Kingdom's borders. Almost as soon as they reached, a group of men came out from the bushes and intercepted them.

One of the men with Xue Mo immediately pulled a paper that shone as soon as he opened it. They showed it to the men that just came and received a nod. These were some of the spies that the Assassination Academy installed in other countries. This was another reason why they were the real power of the Ash Expanse.

With the men's disappearance, Xue Mo and the others entered. They were in the Udanem kingdom now. Running, they continued until they found a city.

Xue Mo and the other stealthily entered without letting the guards seeing them. Their cultivation enhanced their bodies and helped them to infiltrate Bone City easily.

Now, they could finally start working.

***

In the room of an abandoned hut that they had found with the spies' information, Xue Mo was giving orders to the students.

"You two will go to the southeast of the kingdom, the princes' domain. He is called Usher, and he is the second son of the king. Be sure to extract information!" Xue Mo pointed at a scared faced woman and a playboy like a man, who had solemn faces as they nodded.

Turning his head to the others, Xue Mo saw what seemed to be a child sitting on another woman's head. "You two, Dominic said that you have your mission, so go already!" Sighing at being found out, the two flashed and left the hut.

"As for you three," Xue Mo spoke to the last people. They were a man, a woman, and a teenager. "I also heard that you have a mission assigned to you by Declan, so go do it!"

"Yes, Teacher Mo!" They were the only ones who said that of the group of seven. Just like the rest, they left the room.

"Now that we are alone, what do we do?" Lu Yao asked while sitting on Xue Mo's head. She got tired from his shoulder and wanted a change of position. "Also, you looked good all commanding and stuff. You know how to act the role you are given. I do wonder what landed you in this state."

She didn't notice, but a sad and self-deprecating smile appeared on Xue Mo's face when she mentioned that. Yet, it left as quickly as it came. "We will get to the second level of the True Arch Condensation stage before doing anything." Xue Mo changed the subject in such a subtle way that Lu Yao didn't notice.

"Right, so that's why you asked for the Qi stones back then!"

Xue Mo didn't say anything as he let the stones out from his ring. They were cyan, the same color as Qi, but the purity and the quantity in them were dense. They were mid-grade Qi Stones!

"Let's start!" The two said at the same time. They didn't want to waste time.