That evening, Marcus received a message through his Starfall Guild contact. A new contract, but unusual:
Target: Unknown Identity Rank: Silver Rank - Low Stage (estimated) Crimes: Serial killer, 8 confirmed victims in past month, all powerful mages Location: Various, but pattern suggests next target will be in Noble Quarter Bounty: 60,000 gold Special Note: Extremely dangerous. Target hunts mages specifically, uses unknown method to drain their mana before killing them. Recommend team approach.
Sixty thousand gold. Marcus's highest bounty yet. But also his most dangerous target—a Silver Rank killer who specialized in hunting mages and had already killed eight of them successfully.
This would require careful planning. Possibly backup.
Possibly Lucian, if the young genius could handle another contract so soon after his first.
Marcus sent a message: "Meet me at the usual place. 10 PM. Bring weapons. We have a big contract."
Lucian's reply came within minutes: "I'll be there. And Marcus? I won't freeze this time. I promise."
Marcus hoped that was true. Because against a Silver Rank opponent who specialized in killing mages, freezing would mean death.
Not just for Lucian. For both of them.
At 10 PM, Lucian arrived at the warehouse precisely on time, wearing combat-appropriate dark clothes and carrying both his sword and several backup weapons. His amber eyes were clear, focused, showing none of yesterday's guilt-ridden confusion.
"I'm ready," Lucian said. "Whatever the contract is, I can handle it."
Phantom—Marcus was wearing his mask and full gear—studied him carefully. "You sure? Because this target is Silver Rank and has killed eight mages already. This isn't some Bronze Peak merchant we can poison and overwhelm. This is a genuine threat."
"I'm sure. I spent all day training, preparing mentally, getting ready for this. I won't be a liability."
"Good. Because I need you functional for this contract. The bounty is sixty thousand gold—split two ways, thirty thousand each. But we earn it by hunting a killer who's better at killing than we are."
Phantom explained the target's pattern: all victims were mages of Bronze or Silver Rank, all were drained of mana before being killed, all were found in locations they should have been safe. The killer was intelligent, patient, and very good at avoiding detection.
"So how do we find him?" Lucian asked.
"We don't. We make him come to us." Phantom pulled out a map of the Noble Quarter. "The pattern suggests he's targeting successful mages with valuable assets. Next logical target is probably someone from the academy—a powerful professor or advanced student. We position ourselves near likely targets and wait for him to strike. Then we intercept."
"That's... actually clever. Use ourselves as bait."
"Not ourselves. Other people as bait, us as the trap." Phantom marked several locations on the map. "Professor Aldwin fits the pattern—Gold Rank mage, wealthy, lives alone in Noble Quarter. If our killer is targeting academy mages, Aldwin's a probable target."
"So we stake out his house and wait?"
"Exactly. Could be tonight, could be a week from now. But eventually, our killer will come. And when he does, we'll be ready."
They spent the next three hours setting up surveillance positions around Professor Aldwin's residence. Phantom took the rooftop position with clear sightlines. Lucian positioned himself in a nearby alley with view of the back entrance.
Then they waited.
Assassination was often boring—hours of watching for minutes of action. Phantom used the time to review his equipment, check his poison reserves, and mentally rehearse combat scenarios.
At 2:17 AM, Lucian's voice came through their communication spell: "Movement. Back entrance. Someone's climbing the wall."
Phantom shifted position, focusing on the back of Aldwin's house. A figure in dark clothing was scaling the wall with supernatural grace—Silver Rank enhanced movement, barely visible even to Phantom's trained eyes.
The figure reached Aldwin's bedroom window, did something to disable the wards, and slipped inside.
"Move in," Phantom commanded. "Non-lethal takedown if possible. I want answers about his mana-draining technique."
They converged on the house from different angles. Phantom entered through the back door—picking the lock took ten seconds—while Lucian came through a first-floor window.
They met on the stairs leading to Aldwin's bedroom. Through the door, they could hear struggling, then sudden silence.
Phantom kicked the door open.
The killer was standing over Professor Aldwin's paralyzed body, one hand glowing with strange dark energy as he drained the Gold Rank professor's mana. He turned at the intrusion, and Phantom finally saw his face.
Young, maybe early twenties, with distinctive red eyes and black hair. Silver Rank - Low Stage aura. And most importantly, a face Phantom recognized from academy records.
"Kael Darkmoore," Phantom said. "Third-year student. Ranked seventh in your class. Why are you killing academy mages?"
Kael smiled, his red eyes gleaming with madness. "Because they have what I need. Mana. Power. The ability to advance beyond my natural limits." He raised his glowing hand. "I discovered I can absorb others' cultivation if I drain them properly. Eight victims gave me enough power to reach Silver Rank from Bronze Low. Imagine what a Gold Rank professor will give me."
A cultivation technique based on draining others. Horrific, evil, and incredibly effective if it worked.
"That ends tonight," Phantom said, drawing his poisoned daggers.
Kael's smile widened. "Does it? Because I sense two Bronze Peak Stage opponents. Even together, you're not strong enough to stop a Silver Rank cultivator enhanced with eight people's worth of stolen cultivation."
He was right. Silver versus Bronze Peak was a significant gap.
But Phantom had faced worse odds before.
"Lucian," Phantom said quietly. "Remember your training. Don't freeze. Don't hesitate. Do whatever it takes."
"Understood."
Kael laughed and attacked, his speed enhanced with Silver Rank power and stolen cultivation. This was going to be a very difficult fight.