Ch. 13 Ancestral Trial of the Shadow Assassin.

In a certain village 12.1 Kilometers east of the city, there were currently 7 people on the place where the 4 magnificent looking statues stood.

These people were David, The female soldier, Juliana Zheng, Xiao Long, Xiao Xue'er and their sons Xiao Yao and Xiao Che.

David, on the other hand, placed the token at the ground and said "activate" then a blue pane appeared in front of David as it said

"Will you use the " Priest statue token"? Caution, Once the token is used it will automatically disappear."

David replied with a "Yes" and suddenly a statue rose up from the ground causing it to tremble yet not affecting the ground in any way.

Soon the whole body of the priest statue was shown and it was magnificent, unlike the others, it had a woman's figure and it was holding a staff that was radiating a soothing feeling.

David let Xiao Xue'er be the first to change into a priest profession, Xiao Xue'er went to the statue and did what she was told to do.

Unlike the transformation of others, she was showered in white light that excluded holiness from the sky and there was a small black and white figure that went down from the sky and entered her brows.

Moments later her unique transformation had finished. She opened her eyes but her eye color changed from dark brown to gray.

Like what David usually does after a class change he used identification on her.

Name: Xiao Xue'er

Village: Fallen Leaves Village

Titles: Priestess of the Holy Demon God.

Profession: Priest - Low-Order Priest's apprentice.

Age: 42 (120)

Health: 80

Mana: 120

Physical Attack: 4

Physical Defence: 4

Magical Attack: 12

Magical Defence: 6

Attack Speed: 2

Movement Speed: 3

Blessings:

1. Healing efficiency will double when healing others.

2. Healing skills can be targeted to people that the user deems as enemies to deal 50% of the Healing amount.

Talents:

1. Each Minor Order increase, enhances Magical Attack and Mana Points by 8%. (Double enhancement if Major order increase)

2. Each Minor Order increase, enhances Healing skill efficiency by 9%. (Double enhancement if Major order increase).

Skills:

1. Meditation LV:1 - Through meditation can enhance Class-order if inside the cultivation room otherwise, the skill would only restore HP and MP.

2. Holy Light LV:1 - Heal your chosen target by 100% of Magical Attack. It can also be targeted to unholy creatures and undead creatures to deal 200% Magical Attack as Magical Damage. Cost: 10 MP. Cooldown: 4 seconds.

3. Blessings of the Holy Devil God LV:1 - Gives a buff that increases their base attributes by 10% for 30 minutes. Cost: 30 MP. Cooldown: 1 minute.

4. Curse of the Holy Devil God LV:1 - Gives a Curse debuff that either decreases base attributes by 10% for 40 seconds or deals 10% magical attack as pure/curse damage every second for 20 seconds. Cost:30 MP. Cooldown: 1 minute.

Techniques:

1. Fall like Snow LV:1 - Enhances Magical attack by 30%, Movement speed by 20% every time the Technique levels up. Gives 50% additional cultivation speed every time the Techniques levels up. Current cultivation speed: 1.5X

After her transformation was finished, she became younger looking

"This Holy Devil God is quite helpful, He gave her a unique blessing and skills and he even increased her talents from Demi-God and Saint to Mid-God and Low-God that most Gods can't do." David said in his mind and he continued

"But as a person who almost ruined the Divine realm how come I had never heard of this God before. Is he one of the 72 Gods that were always in seclusion or those Ancient ones." David said in his mind as he clicked his tongue.

David soon let Juliana change her class but there were no remarkable things to comment on but the God that blessed her was a Healing God which enhanced her healing efficiency by 50%.

David told them to not wear the default armor of the professions but instead use their military uniforms and only use it when it is needed because there are people like before who lules to stir up trouble, he asked Xiao Che to call Michael and tell him to bring the profession token and the prince token. Moments later Michael arrived as he brought the token and the dagger.

"Dav-" before Michael could even say his name David already interrupted him and seeing David talking so seriously made him silent as he listened to the word of David.

"Michael, This token is one of the Special Professions that has limited profession slots of 100 meaning it is one of the strongest special professions, most of the special professions don't need tests or trials to get but this one and it also comes with the enemies that had enmity with the previous users of the profession, if one of them knows that you are a Shadow Assassin they would come after you with all their might, but the realm boundary between the mortal realm and other realms are weakening."

"It will be up to you if you will undergo a special profession change but beware that this kind of special profession will be all about killing so you will need to steel your mind. From what I know, after using this token, it will transfer your soul into a vessel inside the mind space, and inside this mind space, you will get to choose trials that were made by the first shadow assassin but failing to complete the trial destroys your soul.

"There are 50 normal trials, 30 elite trials, 19 Master Trials, these 99 trials are those of no conditions of entering but there is a special trial called the "Ancestral Trial" that has a requirement before entering and the old man that gave me his memories did not know what is the conditions for the trial, but what I speculate is that the Dagger of shadows itself is the requirement to enter the trial."

After saying this David was silent and Michael digested this information but his complexion grows gloomy with each passing second. Around 20 seconds later he turned to David with eyes full of determination and said "I will undergo the trial."

David sighed and said "Hold the token with one hand and the other touching the statue then say "Activate" but beware it will instantly move your soul to the mind space because there is no confirmation for this kind of special profession. Remember to focus on the task at hand and always be decisive and if the situation is bad I would recommend that you fall back and wait for an opportunity. ."

Michael nodded as he walked to the statue with the token in hand and touched the statue then said "Activate" and his body suddenly turned lifeless as he stood in place.

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Michael POV

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I am standing in front of this Beast Man, A panther beast-man, that was exerting pressure on me because of this I can't move nor talk and the feeling of death kept looming over me.

"Welcome mortal to the Death Shadow Hall."

"Let me introduce myself, I am Revo Zel Kerr, The manager of the Death Shadow Hall."

"Completing the trials lets you change your profession into a Shadow Assassin but there are a total of 99 trials in here, 50 of which are Common Tier Shadow Assassin trial, 30 of which are Elite Tier Shadow Assassin trial, and the last 19 are Master Tier Shadow Assassin."

"Yes, I know what you are thinking. " Why are there only 99 trials?" because that last single trial is not for anyone."

The beast-man snapped his finger and the pressure that kept me in place disappeared and we teleported to a place where there were 5-meter large gates with runes that many of which are black and some are white.

I asked the beast-man "Why are those gates dark in color and why are some white?" The beast-man did not turn back but a sound was heard in his mind "Those dark gates meant that the trial or specifically the profession contained in them are already in use."

We walked and walked until we reached the gates that were colored Orange instead of white and they were 2 times bigger than those white gates. The same sound was heard in his mind "These are the Elite Trials, you may take them now or follow me to the master trials."

However, I did not move but instead moved forward and the beast-man's voice was heard again "Very well." and he instantly teleported in front of me.

Time passed as we both had arrived at the point where red-colored 20-meter large gates appeared but most of them were dark, We kept walking until we reached the end where there was a single gate that still had white runes. I, however, did not stop but instead continued to walk the hall.

"If you continue to walk the path and your willpower is not enough then it would be the end of you." Revo's voice was heard from behind instead of the usual telepathic voice.

I did not turn back as I continued to walk.

First step

Third step

Eighth step

Tenth step.

Twentieth step

Thirtieth step

THUD!

At that moment, before I could even do my fortieth step, a crushing pressure dropped down on me unlike those before that increases with each step because the pressure on the thirty-ninth step was suddenly multiplied by 2 causing me to fall to my knees. I slowly picked myself up only to fall down again.

THUD!

"Arghhhh" I shouted and forcefully stood up with all my might and I had finally stood up then I continued my walk.

Fiftieth step

Sixtieth step

Seventieth step.

Seventy-ninth step

Eightieth step?

There was a barrier blocking my foot from stepping on the eightieth checkpoint, but when I put both of my feet unto the barrier the pressure multiplied once more by 1.5 and the voice of an old man was heard and it was horrifying.

"You will pass the trial if you can survive for 10 minutes but if you get hit and bleed you fail the trial and failing is a crime punishable by death for shadow assassins thus resulting in me ripping your soul and curse you for eternity to be a wraith."

Multiple wraiths appeared one after another as they attacked me ferociously, some of them hit other wraiths causing the weaker wraith to dissipate and the wraiths that were strong enough to endure the attack were weakened.

The wraiths that dissipated dropped their weapons, many of the wraiths used swords. I picked up a sword and used it to parry and counter-attack the wraiths.

9 minutes had passed and I was nearly exhausted from fighting non-stop while dodging or parrying each and every attack from them.

I kept dodging and dodging since I have no more strength left in my arms, although I have a minute left it felt like it was more than a minute passing.

A minute had passed and the wraiths dissipated as well as the crushing pressure while I tumbled down to the ground exhausted. "This 10-minute survival test felt like an hour." I gasped for air.

That creepy voice resounded again in the hall. "Congratulations on passing the first test, you may continue to walk the hall."

I rested in the ground for 20 minutes before standing up and walked down the hall.

Soon enough I arrived in front of a stone stele that had a dagger-shaped hole in the middle. I inserted the dagger and the stone stele lighted up but I had blackened out, but the old man's voice was heard but it was not directed at my ears nor mind but instead it was directed at my soul.

"You have entered the second test, assassinate the village chief of Ruz Taw Village as well as his family. Hesitate and you will fail please do remember that the penalty for failing is quite severe. You have 5 days to complete this test."

When I woke up, I had realized that it wasn't in the black hall but I was inside a cave holding a black dagger and in fact, it was the dagger of shadows but it felt like it doesn't have the attributes and skills. A coin purse inside the bag containing 3 gold coins and 50 silver coins as well as several herbs but somehow I know what these herbs are, a fourth of these have very potent paralyzing effect that affects the whole body and can last from a day up to a month while the other half are poisonous herbs that can give a slow but sure death.

And not only that I also have some implanted memories about assassination preparation and the assassination itself from the book "Potion and Poison making for Dummies" and " A Dummies guide for Assassination"

When I moved my body I immediately knew that this body doesn't have a profession because no wonder I had felt so sluggish.

I came out of the cave looked at the sun to know the time, it was already noon then I had surveyed the surroundings of the cave and it seems that the village was near, the estimated distance is around 4 kilometers basing from the view of the mountain top.

I cautiously went to the village because I might suddenly die without knowing the cause, due to this I had arrived at the location at night and went to an inn.

I went inside the Inn, there were many drunken warriors laughing and some were even fighting. I smiled and went toward the middle-aged man in the counter which is the inn owner.

"Oh, An Adventurer or perhaps a Mercenary?" The Inn owner looked at me and asked.

"You can somehow call me an adventurer" I replied expressionlessly and asked back. "How much is a room?"

The Inn owner was silent for a while before he replied "2 nights and breakfast for 2 silver coins." but I coldly looked at him as I put a silver coin on the counter and coldly said "Make it 3."

"Fine, your room is upstairs and the room number is in the key." The Inn owner was forced to accept the offer as he gave me the key which had a number of 23 carved onto it.

I slowly walked up the stairs and entered my room and lay down on the bed. "Even if this was not reality, it feels like one." I talked to myself as I had slowly sinking deep in thought and minutes later I was already sleeping while having the expression of worry at the same time happiness.

Morning came as I rose up from the bed and went to the restroom for a quick wash-up, I got my dagger but because I'm going to an investigation on my targets I had left the bag containing the herbs I had also eaten my breakfast.

I was thinking about how to get information on my targets and I suddenly remembered that some people usually make money by being a broker, I need to find a broker or specifically an information broker.

I went to a tavern and walk over the bartender and secretly passing him a silver coin before asking "Where do I find an information broker in this place." The bartender grinned as he replied. "See that cloaked guy sitting at the corner? He is a broker that sells slaves, information and also accepts assassination services."

"Assassination Services? This test will be easy as pie." Or that's what I thought before the chilly voice of an old man poured cold water over my head. "You will instantly fail if you get another person other than you to kill the target."

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I sighed in my heart and walked toward the cloaked guy then sat on the chair opposite to him and he suddenly said "State your business."

"Information."

"Payment depends on whether the information you want is highly sought after or not."

"The village chief and his family."

"30 silver coins."

I passed a bag containing the exact amount and he also passed me a folder containing the information and said "Pleasure doing business with you."

I nodded at him as I stood up and exited the tavern with the folder in hand and I went toward the inn then entered my room. I had read the papers inside the folder. It contained every basic information as well as their secret hobbies.

After I was done memorizing the crucial information, I burned the folder to avoid unnecessary trouble and went out to scout the until evening and before I went home I bought a black cloak as well as some smoke bombs, I tested the smoke bombs and they were indeed real smoke bombs.

Evening came and I had already arrived at the inn, I ate my dinner early before I concocted a poison that is like carbon monoxide but it is more deadly and efficient as I waited for darkness to cover the land and when it did I wore my cloak then made my move, of course, I had not forgotten to bring the poison inside the bottles in case I would have a chance of assassinating one of the. I walked over to the walls of the compound and leaned on it as I waited till there were no people in sight.

I climbed the wall as I had successfully infiltrated the compound. I slowly slithered my way inside the compound looking at possible hiding locations.

After finding the most hidden and efficient spots, I had to find and knock out a worker then apply him a drop worth of paralyzing concoction, it would at least paralyzed him for half a day and mostly 2 days depending on his constitution. After I knocked the worker out and applied paralyzing concoction, I stole his clothes and patrolled the compound.

During my scouting, I had found 2 patrols roaming around the compound were 2 guards in each patrol.

I had overheard one of the guards gossiping to another that the Village Chief would be going to the nearby village called Maple village to do some small business tomorrow morning.

"I will have a chance to assassinate the Village Chief without risking too many injuries. After I assassinate the Village Chief there is still his wife, his twin son, and daughter."

I went home to start formulating my plan and also sleep to regain my lost stamina. My plan is to sow discord among the guards in the carriage and assassinate the village chief if I get my chance when I have already finished killed the chief I would have to return to the village and finish off the 3 harmless family members. But when I finished formulating the plan, I knew that I am not the Michael that I used to be, there was something or someone that is influencing me to do this.

"This isn't me, I would never kill without hesitation, Who are you or what are you?."

Suddenly a very cold and dark voice of a young man was heard in his ears