By the time dawn broke, Jasper Cole had been awake for an entire night.
Exhausted—but satisfied.
He stood beneath the rising sun, watching as the Skeletons and Zombies retreated back into underground caves, driven away by daylight. Only a few Spiders and Creepers still lingered on the surface.
He exhaled slowly.
Finally…
Ding.Profession Mission complete.Reward: Red Energy ×1Skill acquired: Assassin Detection — "Hawk Eye."
Ding.Task complete: Kill five Leatherclad Zombies.Reward: Gray-Black Assassin Coat, Bronze Tier, Rank 5.
Ding.Gray-Black Assassin Coat fused with existing combat gear.New equipment obtained: Assassin Combat Suit — Bronze Tier, Rank 5.
Jasper looked down at himself.
The outfit had subtly changed.
A hood had appeared—black as the night, trimmed in white. Its front extended into a sharp triangular point, unmistakably reminiscent of an assassin's cowl. When worn, it concealed everything above his nose. Others would never see his eyes.
But he could see theirs.
The suit's defensive strength had increased noticeably, and more importantly, it dampened enemy alertness—partially blocking willpower-based detection.
Perfect.
Then Jasper activated his newly acquired skill.
Hawk Eye.
A ripple spread outward from him, like a pulse in water.
Six hundred meters.
Everything within that range appeared clearly in his mind—terrain, living beings, movements.
It was even more convenient than raw willpower detection, and the range was roughly twenty percent greater.
Jasper almost laughed out loud.
This is absurdly good.
This skill alone is worth killing for.
Elsewhere, deep within Tomas Trell's stronghold—
A broad-shouldered villager knelt respectfully. It was Wade Brant, the man Jasper had beaten senseless before.
With a flattering smile, Wade said, "Boss Tomas, you have no idea. That kid has already broken through to Bronze Tier, Rank 2. He even killed the men we planted under Ronan Scarhand—and crippled one."
His eyes gleamed. "Rank 1 and he was already that arrogant. Rank 2? He's only going to get worse."
Wade leaned closer and lowered his voice. "And I saw it myself at the market—gold. He took a gold ingot out of his clothes. Bought a coat. The vendor even gave him four gold coins in change."
The cloudy crystal had been completely ignored.
Tomas Trell shot to his feet. "Gold?! Where did he get gold?"
Wade grinned. "I saw him leave the village toward the abandoned mine. Even if most of it's exhausted, there are still hidden veins. That gold must've come from there."
He swallowed and continued eagerly, "I also saw him head out again today. If you set an ambush on his way back… the gold is yours. And the threat disappears."
Tomas's expression darkened, then slowly relaxed into a smile.
"Good. Very good."
He looked at Wade approvingly. "Do your job well, and rewards will follow."
He gestured, and a subordinate stepped forward, handing over five iron throwing knives.
"For your service."
Wade accepted them with trembling hands. "Thank you, Boss!"
Back in the forest, Jasper leapt soundlessly between branches, practicing his agility.
Villagers rested below—completely unaware that death was moving above their heads.
Every four or five hundred meters, Jasper activated Hawk Eye, carefully scanning his surroundings.
Because of that—
Tomas Trell's perfect ambush plan collapsed before it even began.
Just before reaching the village outskirts, Jasper stopped.
Eight figures appeared within his detection range.
All wore Tomas's uniform—easy to recognize.
And among them—
Wade Brant.
Jasper crouched on a branch, eyes cold beneath the hood.
"So… it was you."
Six Bronze Tier, Rank 3 cultivators.One Bronze Tier, Rank 4.And Wade Brant—Bronze Tier, Rank 1, barely worth counting.
"Quite the lineup," Jasper murmured. "Guess you really think highly of me."
He vanished from the branch.
The man farthest from the group leaned against a tree, bored.
So many people for one kid?Ridiculous.
He'd heard the target was only Bronze Tier, Rank 2. Someone he could've killed alone.
While he was lost in thought—
A shadow slid down the tree behind him.
A hand clamped over his mouth.
A wrist blade pierced his throat.
The body was lowered gently to the ground.
Silent.
Jasper was back in the trees an instant later.
Ahead, four men stood together—two chatting, two on watch.
Jasper drew his short sword.
He dropped.
Left hand—wrist blade across one throat.Right hand—short sword through another chest.
The guards turned.
Too late.
Jasper lunged forward. The wrist blade flashed—another throat pierced.
He swept the last man's legs out from under him and drove the short sword into his heart.
The Bronze Tier, Rank 4 cultivator finally arrived.
So did Wade Brant—and one remaining Rank 3.
Six Rank 3s.
Five already dead.
Jasper flicked the blood from his blade and sheathed it.
Wade Brant laughed nervously. "What, scared? Putting your weapon away? You weren't so tough before! Beg me and I might—"
The killing intent that erupted from Jasper swallowed his words whole.
Wade froze.
Jasper moved.
So fast that even the Rank 4 cultivator failed to react in time.
One punch.
Wade's body lifted off the ground.
Jasper seized his head and smashed it into the earth.
Bone cracked.
Red and white splattered.
Wade Brant was dead.
Before the others could scream, Jasper flung three Mystic Iron needles at the Rank 4 cultivator—and one at the Rank 3.
The Rank 4 barely raised his sword.
The first needle struck the blade—
Boom.
The weapon exploded into fragments.
The remaining needles hit.
The man was torn apart in a spray of blood and flesh.
The Rank 3 didn't even get a chance to react.
Jasper's Blast Runes had been engraved with Grade C, Upper willpower.
They could threaten even Bronze Tier, Rank 7.
These men never stood a chance.
From the corpses, Jasper retrieved a Blast Talisman, two silver coins, and six longswords.
Useless to him—but worth money.
Whistling softly, Jasper turned and headed back toward the village.
The ambush had failed.
And the hunters had become prey.