Old Shipyard Port.
The underground black market.
This was the darkest corner of Old Shipyard Port, a place soaked in filth and evil. As long as you had enough money, you could buy almost anything here.
Killing someone outside would attract the attention of the Awakened Investigation Bureau.
But people who died in the underground black market were never investigated.
Because this place belonged to the underground king, Dano.
Whoosh.
A black shadow cut through the night like a ghost, silently closing in on a guard.
The underground black market was riddled with Dano's eyes and ears. If Zayne wanted to rescue Blake without making a sound, he had to eliminate the outer sentries first.
He was dressed entirely in black, shoes, clothes, face covering, even a black head wrap. His figure blended completely into the darkness. Even if someone's gaze swept past him, it would be difficult to realize that the vague shadow was a person.
With Swiftstep Waltz activated, his speed was lightning fast. Using the momentum, the Starfall Skytrace in his hand pierced straight through the guard's heart.
To prevent the smell of blood from spreading, Zayne immediately froze the wound with Everfrost Gaze.
Just like that, a flawless assassination was completed in silence.
Zayne let out a quiet breath. Things were going even more smoothly than he had expected. If he could sneak in and catch Dano off guard, there was a real chance he could kill him.
But the very next second, Dano's men suddenly surrounded him from all directions.
"How did you find me?" Zayne could not understand it. He had been meticulous. Why was he exposed so quickly?
The leader, a blond man with a scorpion tattooed on the web of his hand, sneered and pointed upward at a well hidden camera.
"Times have changed. Our surveillance has infrared night vision. What year do you think this is, still playing dress up in black?"
Zayne fell silent.
So he had been careless after all.
But it did not matter. If everyone here died, no one would know he had infiltrated this place.
"Forbidden Spell Infernal Overdrive!"
"Forbidden Spell Hellfire Armageddon!"
With five pieces of equipment boosting his Spirit, Zayne's base Spirit had already reached a staggering 1098. Once Infernal Overdrive activated, his Spirit surged to 2196, so powerful it felt like he could probe every detail of the people in front of him with invisible tendrils.
Under this terrifying level of Spirit, the Hellfire Armageddon lit up the night sky.
In that instant, the group of Dano's men led by the blond thug saw light.
Only then did they realize just what kind of monster they were facing.
A scorching torrent of fire erupted from Zayne's palm. The purple red flames were so terrifying it felt as if they could burn everything in sight.
The fire spread at an incredible speed, instantly swallowing all of Dano's men. Screams, wails, and cries for help were devoured by the flames, leaving only the crackling sound of burning.
The blond man's hair was already burned away. He struggled in panic, trying to escape the sea of hellfire, but the purple red flames seemed alive, chasing him relentlessly. After a few desperate flails, he too turned to ash.
"Forbidden Spell Necrotic Dominion!"
Zayne activated Necrotic Dominion. Countless undead clawed their way up from the ground, encircling the entire underground black market.
At this point, it no longer mattered how many crimes the identity of Shadowcaster carried. Adding one more, the assassination of Dano, made no difference.
The premise was simple. No one could be allowed to escape alive tonight.
Otherwise, the secret of his immortality would be exposed.
Since he had already been discovered, Zayne stopped bothering to hide. He activated Sacrificial Blade Technique and began stacking layers with the Starfall Skytrace.
"That's him. Grab him. Boss Dano wants him alive."
This was Dano's territory. No sooner had Zayne finished slaughtering the first group than more of Dano's men appeared.
These were no longer disposable thugs.
They were real Awakened.
More than a dozen of them, all above level twenty.
Awakened above level twenty were no longer ordinary people. The destructive power each of them could unleash rivaled that of a fully armed elite special forces soldier.
One figure moved first, charging straight at Zayne. He was clearly a speed type Awakened, his movements sharp and fluid, like a nimble wildcat.
But fast as he was, Zayne was faster.
With Swiftstep Waltz active, Zayne appeared directly in his path in an instant.
The sudden face in front of him startled the attacker, but his reaction was quick. A left straight punch, a right roundhouse kick, followed by a front kick in rapid succession.
Zayne did not dodge.
Not because he was careless, but because it was intentional.
As the blows landed on his body, the blade in Zayne's hand came down in the same moment.
A single slash to the throat. Clean and decisive.
At the same time, Zayne was injured by the exchange. He staggered back several steps and spat out a mouthful of blood.
The Awakened clutched his bleeding throat, his eyes filled with horror. He never expected Zayne to be this ruthless, trading injury for a kill.
"This kid is not right. Do not hold back. Beat him half to death first, then capture him."
The brutal death of their companion put everyone on edge. They instantly understood that underestimating Zayne would come at a terrible cost.
"What kind of class is he? He was throwing fire earlier, and now he's using a blade."
"No idea, but be careful. That fire is terrifying."
"All right. AJ, find a way to disrupt him. Neil, look for a chance to hit him from behind. The rest of you, with me. Buy time for AJ and Neil."
Dano's men discussed their plan, but Zayne ignored them completely. He focused only on stacking Sacrificial Blade Technique.
One Awakened rushed in first, throwing a punch like a charging tiger. His fist was like a heavy hammer, smashing straight into Zayne's chest.
Zayne still did not dodge.
Crack.
His chest caved in instantly, accompanied by the sickening sound of bones breaking. Several ribs had clearly shattered.
The attacker's face lit up in triumph. He was about to declare that Zayne had been severely wounded and the mission was complete.
Then a cold flash passed before his eyes.
What he saw next was a breathtaking star filled sky. A meteor streaked across it, leaving a pale trail of light.
In the following moment, the sky began to spin.
He saw a headless body still standing upright, blood gushing out.
"So it turns out… my head was cut off."
With that final thought, the world before his eyes sank into complete darkness.