Vol. 2 Chapter 16: Assassination

Chapter 16: Assassination

The creature on the ground, although humanoid, was more like a beast. It had hoof-like feet, a dog-like face, sharp claws, grayish-white skin resembling rubber, and disgusting fungi growing on it. A tattered cloth around its waist covered its private parts.

The creature, impaled by Lu Li's shadow, was pinned to the cave ceiling, emitting a wailing sound. Its gaping mouth revealed sharp fangs, making it look even more like a dog. Indeed, its behavior mirrored that of a hyena.

Lu Li was unaware that this creature was known as a ghoul. Long ago, ghouls were once human. They believed that by consuming human flesh, they could gain immense power. Over time, their human form morphed into monstrous ghouls, gaining strength and longevity but becoming hideous and fearing sunlight. In a society dominated by humans, they were forced to hide in sewers or caves in remote areas.

Lu Li didn't care what these creatures were. Since that fateful incident, he barely felt negative emotions. Instead of disappearing, these emotions accumulated within him. The recent memory of the water incident had exacerbated these negative feelings, and being secretly manipulated by the witch had ignited his simmering anger.

A mass of shadow surged into the air, enveloping the ghoul. Shadows forced their way into its mouth and nose, transforming into intersecting spikes that pierced it from within, creating a grotesque thorny flower. Dark green blood dripped from the ghoul's wounds. Without the support of the shadow, it fell to the ground in front of Lu Li, its life force tenacious from years of cannibalistic rituals. It emitted a mournful, dog-like cry, trying to convey some message—these creatures possessed intelligence.

Stepping over the ghoul, Lu Li continued forward. The shadows inside the ghoul reformed, crushing its body into a tattered sack. The shadows then flattened and returned to Lu Li's feet.

As he progressed, the cave widened, and he heard the sound of approaching footsteps. Two ghouls, running on all fours, charged at him with eyes full of rage. Their black and red claws, hardened by frequent contact with corpses and fungi, were infectious to humans. A scratch could cause severe infection, and the corpse might reanimate as a new ghoul upon death, though this was rare.

Without breaking stride, Lu Li moved forward. Two shadow assassins appeared behind the ghouls, reversing their grip on their daggers and plunging them into the ghouls' hearts. The assassins released their daggers, moved with eerie precision, and retreated instantly.

Both ghouls, pierced in identical spots, bled dark green from their wounds. They stumbled and collapsed at Lu Li's feet. Shadows erupted from the ground, impaling their throats and ensuring their death.

The shadow assassins' weapons typically required materials like steel for creation. However, Lu Li used shadows instead, forming shadow blades that, while not as hard as steel, were extremely sharp and could revert to shadows, returning to the assassins' hands.

The shadow assassins blended back into the darkness, moving without a sound or trace. Their stealth abilities were enhanced by their shadow bodies. Without the bond he had with them, even Lu Li would struggle to detect their presence.

The cave grew more chaotic as Lu Li advanced. He became more serious, his steps turning bizarre. A shadow enveloped him, leaving only his eyes, ears, and nose exposed. Then, he vanished completely, leaving no trace or aura behind.

The shadow assassins' stealth relied on a unique movement style rather than mystical means. With his exceptional control over his body, Lu Li could mimic this perfectly, perhaps even better, aided by his intelligence.

Numerous ghouls scurried around, some upright, others on all fours, sniffing the air and scanning with night-vision eyes. But Lu Li, cloaked in shadows, left no scent or sound, merging seamlessly with the darkness. The ghouls, unable to spot him, could only howl in frustration at his last known location.

Silently, Lu Li moved behind a ghoul. In an instant, he appeared, unleashing his pent-up anger. The shadows covering his hand morphed into spikes, piercing the ghoul's brain through its ear. Dark green blood spattered as Lu Li withdrew, avoiding the spray, and disappeared again.

The shadow assassins continued their silent slaughter, eliminating ghouls one by one. The creatures, unable to see their invisible assailants, fell into chaos and fear, but it was futile. The shadowy enemies showed no mercy.

With the last ghoul down, the shadows retracted into Lu Li. The shadows covering him flattened, leaving a few drops of dark green blood on the ground. There were too many ghouls to avoid all the blood. As long as he remained undetected, it didn't matter.

Though the darkness replenished his shadow magic, maintaining two shadow assassins consumed much of his energy. With the ghouls exterminated, the assassins dissolved into smoke and returned to Lu Li's shadow.

(End of the chapter)