"Settle down, maggots! I'm Silva, and I'll be your instructor for these upcoming trials!"
The assassin in black commanded the entire coliseum with his booming voice.
Built like a fortress, Silva possessed a shaved head and unnerving white eyes devoid of pupils.
"When I call your number, step forward and collect your assignment. Save your questions until after I'm finished."
One by one, the fledglings descended into the arena and received sealed envelopes.
Once every envelope had been distributed, Silva continued.
"For Trial One, each of you will receive two assassination targets. One belongs to Reaper Ono's Unit One faction. The other belongs to Reaper Taki's."
His grin widened.
"Likewise, you will become targets yourselves."
A tense silence settled across the arena.
Inside the Hidden Cave of Untold Shadows, the three Reapers each ruled their own territories.
Master Lee governed the Valley of Order.
Reaper Ono controlled the Valley of Darkness.
Reaper Taki oversaw the Valley of Death.
Only the Valley of Light remained neutral territory.
"Trial One begins tomorrow and lasts for one month."
Silva paced slowly across the arena floor.
"The Valley of Light has one rule above all others."
His expression darkened.
"No killing."
A few fledglings exchanged confused glances.
Silva immediately noticed.
"That doesn't mean you're safe."
His voice dropped.
"It means you need to be smarter."
He pointed toward the crowd.
"If a patrol guard catches you committing murder, you'll be executed on the spot."
The atmosphere instantly became heavier.
Silva spent several more minutes explaining badge collection, confirmation procedures, and acceptable methods of completing an assassination.
The final restriction surprised many.
Even if someone eliminated both targets on the first day, they were still required to remain inside the Valley of Light until the trial officially ended.
After dismissing the unit, the crowd dispersed quickly.
Nobody seemed interested in casual conversation anymore.
Everyone had become a potential threat.
...
Zeke and Kenshin attempted to approach Liz.
She immediately turned around and walked the opposite direction.
"She really picked a terrible time to hold a grudge."
Kenshin sighed.
Together, they returned to Zeke's chamber and opened their envelopes.
Inside were sketches of two targets alongside their assigned numbers.
A second folded note rested underneath.
Zeke unfolded it.
No.00,
I expect great things from you.
Eliminate the disciple candidates belonging to Ono and Taki.
Prove your worth.
— Lee
Zeke's expression remained flat.
Without hesitation, he burned the note to ash.
The moment the last ember faded, the Immortal System appeared.
[Immortal System]
---- You've become quite popular lately inside the Hidden Cave of Untold Shadows. Unfortunately, popularity isn't always a blessing.
How will you handle Taki's special attention? ----
Difficulty: Gold
Reward:
S = Chantless Casting
A = Scouter
B = N/A
C = N/A
D = Death
F = Death
---- I look forward to your performance! :) ----
Zeke stared at the message.
'Wonderful.'
He rubbed his forehead.
'Apparently surviving wasn't enough. Now I've caught a Reaper's interest.'
...
Deep within the Valley of Death, an elderly man sat alone inside a lavish temple chamber.
Black silk robes embroidered with silver and green spiderwebs draped over his thin frame.
Grey hair flowed down his shoulders.
A curled handlebar mustache rested beneath sharp brown eyes.
Reaper Taki inhaled from a pipe before releasing several rings of smoke.
"Did you complete the task?"
"Yes, Reaper."
Instructor Fox knelt respectfully.
"I added No.00 as a bonus target for every one of our fledglings."
Taki nodded.
"All except No.444?"
"Correct."
No.444 had been intentionally excluded.
Taki had no intention of allowing his prized disciple candidate to cross paths with someone potentially dangerous.
"And if anyone targets No.444?"
Fox lowered his head further.
"I'll kill them personally."
The room grew silent.
Then Taki's killing intent erupted.
Fox collapsed to one knee instantly.
Sweat poured down his face.
"See that you do."
The pressure vanished as suddenly as it appeared.
Fox immediately bowed.
"Yes, Reaper."
After dismissing him, Taki gazed out the temple window.
Dense vines wrapped around the surrounding cliffs.
Far below, poisonous mist drifted between massive stone formations.
His thoughts returned to No.444.
The Venomous Physique.
A body capable of adapting to nearly any toxin.
A body capable of turning poison into power.
For years, Taki had searched for a suitable successor.
Now he finally possessed one.
No.444 wasn't merely a disciple candidate.
He was an investment.
A future Direct Disciple.
Someone who could elevate Taki's influence even further.
Which was precisely why he couldn't allow unnecessary risks.
His expression darkened.
Especially where Lee was concerned.
'Taki hated many people.'
'But Lee occupied a special place on that list.'
The feeling was mutual.
Unable to kill one another directly, the two men spent decades undermining each other's interests instead.
And recently, Lee's interest in No.00 had become impossible to ignore.
Taki wasn't willing to sit back and watch another future asset fall into his rival's hands.
'Not this time.'
...
The next day arrived quickly.
Zeke stood inside the Valley of Light.
For the first time, he truly understood why it carried that name.
Natural sunlight spilled through a massive crevice stretching across the cavern ceiling like a jagged lightning bolt.
Warm beams illuminated the valley below.
Unlike the harsh stone environment of the Valley of Order, this place resembled a bustling feudal town.
Markets overflowed with activity.
Wooden homes lined narrow streets.
Tea houses, inns, and shops filled the district.
Most buildings stood no taller than four stories.
The entire valley felt like a hidden world unto itself.
Studying the map acquired from the Immortal System only reinforced one conclusion.
The Hidden Cave of Untold Shadows was far larger than it initially appeared.
After purchasing several supplies from a discreet clothing shop, Zeke changed into a dark blue gi and straw hat.
The remaining outfits disappeared into his spatial pouch.
Earlier that morning, he and Kenshin had agreed to separate.
Both planned to monitor Liz from afar.
Kenshin remained behind.
Zeke gathered supplies.
Simple.
Efficient.
Safe.
Or so they thought.
...
"Is that him?"
"Yeah. No.00."
Two older fledglings crouched atop a nearby rooftop.
Using Blend, their bodies merged seamlessly with the black tiles beneath them.
One smirked.
"He doesn't look like anything special."
"Exactly."
The other grinned.
"Easy rewards."
Neither realized their target had already sensed them.
At Stage 2 Master, Zeke's perception vastly exceeded theirs.
The moment they started talking, their fate was sealed.
One blink.
Then he vanished.
The two assassins froze.
"Where did—"
Crack.
Crack.
Their necks twisted violently.
Both bodies collapsed instantly.
Zeke stood behind them.
Expressionless.
"You talk too much for assassins."
The Blend technique dispersed upon death.
Without wasting time, he stored both corpses inside his spatial pouch.
Then he stepped off the rooftop.
Silent.
Weightless.
Like a ghost.
'Time to hunt.'
And with that thought, Zeke disappeared into the Valley of Light.