"It feels sad..."
Staring at the ceiling, Lux closed his eyes. His body needed rest after the exhausting battles of the past few days.
Was he alone? Certainly not. Artemisia accompanied him, caring for him diligently like a shadow that never left his side.
As for Raiden Ei/Shogun and Takamiya Mayuri? Those powerful templates remained in card form. Lux had no intention of summoning them for the time being. They were ace cards to be saved for the right moment.
"Somehow it feels strange," thought Lux as he watched Artemisia slowly feeding him porridge.
The woman smiled gently, so soft and natural that it was difficult to distinguish whether it was genuine or merely an act. Lux felt suspicious—why was Artemisia caring for him without being ordered to?
Yet a warm feeling began to creep into his chest. "It feels rather calming."
Lux didn't really need care—thanks to the Divine Ice Emperor, the deadly injury from Dabi was nothing more than an ordinary wound to him. His body would heal itself in a short time.
While lying down, Lux traced through Artemisia's memories—a personal receptionist of Chen Ye, the Son of Destiny. A name that felt odd with its Chinese roots, but that wasn't what caught Lux's attention.
What interested him was the fact that Chen Ye possessed two Rank SS talents, plus a hidden soul in his necklace—a remnant soul equivalent to Rank S.
"Then what about his prime condition? Is it equivalent to Rank SSS?"
That possibility couldn't be ignored. If so, Artemisia alone wouldn't be enough to face this Son of Destiny.
Some might wonder—what are the consequences if Lux dies in his template form?
The real Lux wouldn't die, only his template would incur a penalty. He wouldn't be able to use that template for a certain period. That's why he wasn't afraid when fighting the Earth King. Although his behavior seemed reckless, as long as it wasn't 'Lux Frost' who died, he would be safe.
Still, he had to be careful. It would be very disadvantageous if his template couldn't be used for a long time.
Back to the Chen Ye issue. Although realizing that ancient soul posed a serious challenge for Artemisia, Lux had prepared another plan. The bait had been set, just waiting for Chen Ye to bite...
Ding!
"Hmm?"
Lux's attention shifted when a ringing sound came from the Shadow Order's special communication device. Artemisia quickly pressed a button, and a pair of words appeared in the air:
"[Time to gather]"
Lux narrowed his eyes.
Shadow Order—an organization of elite assassins. Their task was to eliminate designated targets. They must have been present at the World Organization meeting, so it was impossible for them not to know about Takamiya Mayuri who was now connected to him.
Shadow Order was surely trying to extract information about Takamiya Mayuri from him. There might be other reasons, but that was most likely their main motive.
"Should I accompany Young Master?" Artemisia asked in a gentle voice.
Lux glanced at her silently. Although it was strange that this template acted without his orders, as long as there were no signs of rebellion, he didn't mind.
Artemisia's question made him think. Within Shadow Order, there were several major factions competing for power and influence. Lux wasn't affiliated with any faction—a solitary assassin.
With the collection of templates in his possession, should he form his own group? After all, despite being very powerful with the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception, he was still just one person. It would be difficult to face groups consisting of Rank S Hunters without assistance.
After considering the template cards he possessed, Lux murmured:
"Consume points to maximize template progress."
[Ding! Consuming points...]
***
Shadow Order—one of the largest organizations with a Rank SSS Hunter as leader and five Rank SS Hunters as generals.
With 10,000 members, those who achieved certain accomplishments were given the right to form their own groups. The five largest groups—First Order, Second Order, Third Order, Fourth Order, and Fifth Order—each led by a Rank SS Hunter and comprising 500 assassins.
"Name?" a dark and cold voice was heard from the guard assassin at the entrance, a Rank S Hunter.
He stared at five cloaked figures standing before him. The foremost figure—appearing to be a teenager—pulled out an emblem from inside his cloak.
A skull emblem with icy floral patterns, emitting a silver glow when hit by moonlight.
Seeing this, the guard's eyes narrowed and his expression changed.
"You... Frost Assassin? Then who are the four people behind you?" he asked carefully.
Although a Rank S Hunter, he didn't want to cause trouble with Frost Assassin who was known to have killed several Hunters of his level.
"Them?" Frost Assassin tilted his head. "Members of my group."
"I see... Wait, what?" The guard was startled.
His reaction was understandable. Frost Assassin was known as a lone wolf who always operated alone! He had even rejected expensive offers from several Orders!
But the shock lasted only momentarily. It made sense that Frost Assassin would form his own group rather than joining another one.
"I'm sure these four aren't Guild members, right? To become members of your group, they must officially join Shadow Order."
"Can you handle it?"
"Handle it? Certainly, but..." The assassin observed the four figures behind Frost Assassin.
Some appeared weak, but there were those clearly equivalent to Rank S Hunters...
"Do you want them to remain anonymous? That requires substantial credit."
"Not a problem." Frost Assassin took out his phone and showed his account with billions in credit.
Seeing the unreasonable figure, the corner of the assassin's lips twitched.
In Shadow Order, members could choose to remain anonymous or not. If not anonymous, they had to reveal their real identities, talents, techniques, and so on. Meanwhile, anonymous members could hide all that information.
The advantage of being anonymous was clear, but the disadvantage was distrust from other members. And to become anonymous, the cost was very expensive.
But for the wealthy Frost Assassin, paying hundreds of millions in credit was merely a trifle.
"What's the name of your group?"
"Group name, yes..." Lux thought for a moment. "...Zero Order."
***
Wearing his exclusive cloak, Lux stepped into the main building of Shadow Order.
The atmosphere around him was so quiet. Although many assassins passed by, no one made a sound. Their footsteps were barely audible, and no one spoke.
Understandable. As assassins, they focused on missions to kill targets for clients. Entertainment or light conversation was considered a waste of time, though not all assassins thought so.
'Intense killing intent,' Lux thought.
His expression remained calm. Although his accomplishments as Frost Assassin were respected, many still wanted to kill him. Especially since he received special attention from the Shadow Order Guild Leader, jealousy towards him doubled.
Being bothered by annoying minor enemies made Lux reluctant to linger in this place.
The four people following him from behind also maintained serious expressions.
Suddenly—
WOSH–!!
A dagger flew from the shadows, targeting Lux's neck!
"?!!"
The sudden attack surprised the assassins who witnessed it. Before anyone could react—
KRING! SLASH! BOOM!
A flash of blue blade deflected the dagger. Blue flames erupted, shattering it to pieces!
The attacking assassin stepped back, surprised, but his neck suddenly felt cold as a katana sliced his skin.
'Since when?!'
He intended to activate his talent, but a cold threatening tone stopped him.
"Stop making suspicious movements or your head will be separated from your body."
The assassin swallowed hard, amazed at his attacker.
A young girl? Despite the cloak hiding her identity, her body was clearly very small. Yet with agility almost invisible to the eye!
Clap! Clap!
"Impressive. As expected from Frost Assassin. Even your group members are very impressive."
All eyes turned to the man who smiled kindly yet dangerously. He wore a cloak with two skull emblems—one of the five Rank SS Hunters in Shadow Order, the Chairman of Second Order.
Even Lux was reluctant to deal with him. "State what you want?"
"No need to be so cold. I just wanted to see how strong your members are, and they truly don't disappoint. Especially..."
He glanced at one of the members behind Lux who emanated the aura of a Rank S Hunter.
A greedy smile formed on his face. "I'm sure that's a woman. Could you hand her over to me?"
Lux's expression didn't change, but his Mystic Eyes of Death Perception began to glow.
Lux might hate trouble, but that didn't mean he was afraid to face it...
The woman who became the target stared coldly, killing intent emanating from her body.
So did the other members. The assassins around began to prepare for a fight.
The power of a Rank SS Hunter was indeed frightening, but in Lux's eyes, all of that meant nothing.
As the atmosphere grew tenser, a magic circle suddenly appeared under their feet, beginning to envelop their bodies.
"Ah, what a shame." The Second Order Chairman sounded regretful. "I wanted to fight you, but it's alright. Another time."
Lux didn't respond.
"See you in the meeting room, Frost Assassin. No... Lux Frost." The Second Order Chairman smiled, his gaze full of killing intent not hidden.
'How troublesome.' Lux shook his head slightly and sighed.
The scenery around began to change. The spacious room with hundreds of assassins now became a cramped room with certain individuals.
Several luxurious chairs had been occupied by important figures of Shadow Order, but some were occupied by unfamiliar figures.
'Those emblems... Sun Order and Moon Order Guilds.'
Two Top Guilds present with Shadow Order—this was no ordinary meeting.
While Lux silently observed, several people paid attention to the skull-masked boy.
Especially... a certain gaze from a woman.
"Fufu, finally all Chairmen are present. Let's begin."
A woman with enchanting curves in a purple gown showcasing her thighs. Shiny black hair and a pair of mysterious white eyes.
She was the Shadow Order Guild Leader, one of the few Rank SSS Hunters in the world—Queenie.
"No need for pleasantries. Get to the point."
A hot-tempered man crossed his legs arrogantly. The temperature around him increased, making several people sweat.
He was the Sun Order Guild Leader, Rank SSS Hunter—Taiyo.
"Fine, as you wish." Queenie chuckled then pressed something.
A hologram appeared before them, displaying a scene that made everyone frown.
"This... Island?"
Yes, a unique island shaped like an octopus.
"Cthulhu Island. That's its official name. A peaceful fishing island, until a few hours ago when a dungeon break occurred there."
The screen shifted to another scene—purple dimensional cracks spewing out giant monsters one by one.
The Giants—creatures without intelligence with an obsession for destruction. Their numbers reached tens of thousands!
Not enough, there were four Giants measuring 50 meters with their respective weapons! All four equivalent to Rank S+ Hunters!
And more shocking...
"Magical Beast Rank SSS..." someone muttered.
The largest Giant—four times larger than the other four Giants. With armor and a giant sword in its hand...
Its power equivalent to a Rank SSS Hunter!
"You bitch. What do you mean by showing this Dungeon Break to us?" Taiyo asked rudely.
"Calm down, this isn't over yet." Queenie smiled mysteriously and changed the screen view.
An even more astonishing scene unfolded. A blue dimensional crack opened, and octopus-like creatures broke through.
A second dungeon break! Two dungeon breaks simultaneously in one location!
This fact changed the expression of all present.
BANG!
Taiyo slammed the table in front of him. "DAMN! I understand what you want!"
"Fufufu, no need to be too excited." Queenie smiled softly, but her eyes gleamed greedily.
For most people, a dungeon break was a disaster.
But two dungeon breaks simultaneously, for elite Hunters, was a sign of the presence of treasure!
The emergence of two simultaneous dungeon breaks meant there was a legendary item hidden on Cthulhu Island!
Seeing the threat level, there was no doubt the item was very powerful!
Even Lux, who was initially uninterested, started to pay attention.
"We were the first to notice the situation on Cthulhu Island. We'd better move quickly before others get ahead of us," said Queenie.
"What are we waiting for! We need to move immediately!" Taiyo urged.
"Calm down. We need to be careful." The Moon Order Guild Leader, Rank SSS Hunter named Kira, raised his face with a lazy look. "From the scenes earlier, there are two Rank SSS Magical Beasts and dozens of Rank S or higher. The combination of three Top Guilds sounds strong, but we still lack combat power."
Battles between Rank SSS Hunters and Rank SSS Magical Beasts often ended with the Hunter's death. To face a Rank SSS Magical Beast, one Rank SSS Hunter plus five Rank S or higher Hunters as support were needed.
And not all Rank SSS Hunters were close combat experts, so it would be very risky.
Unfortunately... among the three Guilds present, none were willing to sacrifice that much.
"Speaking of combat power, I'm sure you have something, right? Frost Assassin?"
All eyes turned to Lux.
Lux remained calm, his expression unreadable. He knew what those gazes meant, but pretended not to understand. He tilted his head and asked in a flat voice:
"I apologize, Sun Order Guild Leader. I don't understand what you mean."
"Hoh..." Taiyo's expression darkened and the temperature around him rose drastically.
"Frost Assassin... Do you think we're all stupid? We know you're hiding that Pure Spirit. Before anything undesirable happens, you'd better release that Spirit."
Lux glanced at him silently. Clearly, they meant Takamiya Mayuri. Takamiya Mayuri's power was undeniable.
With the damage that occurred in Blue Sea City and the evaporation of the boundless sea, they could estimate Takamiya Mayuri's power—equivalent to Rank SSS!
If such a powerful creature helped, the chances of completing the Raid on Cthulhu Island would be very high!
Unfortunately... Takamiya Mayuri was one of Lux's ace cards. Why should he release his strongest template for their benefit?
Better saved to generate Achievement Points at the right time.
Lux chose to remain silent, politely refusing.
However, he warned his templates to be vigilant if something undesirable happened.
"So bold..."
The hologram in front of them began to malfunction. Electronic equipment emitted smoke.
Taiyo radiated high temperatures, melting the table in front of him.
Fortunately, Queenie quickly acted.
"Fufu... Stop causing trouble, Taiyo. As for the Rank SSS Magical Beast, leave it to Shadow Order."
Taiyo glanced at the smiling Queenie, then at Lux who remained calm. He snorted in annoyance and returned to his seat.
Queenie chuckled. "Good, back to the initial discussion. For the Rank SSS Magical Beast, we will handle one of them. For the other one... I think Moon Order can be responsible, right?"
Feeling Queenie's gaze, Kira frowned but didn't refuse. "Leave it to my Guild."
"Good. And lastly, I hope Sun Order is willing to block other Guilds that are beginning to notice the situation on Cthulhu Island."
"I don't mind, but I have one question." Taiyo stared sharply at Queenie. "The item on Cthulhu Island, who has the right to claim it?"
"Good question. As usual..." Queenie smiled coldly. "Whoever finds it first is the owner."
With that statement, everyone fell silent. Greed and ambition began to burn within each of them. Some even began to devise betrayal in their minds...
***
Walking with his template members, Lux thought about the earlier meeting.
Although appearing indifferent, he was considering the best scenario to generate Achievement Points.
And most importantly...
'I wonder... will the Son of Destiny be involved in this?'
The Cthulhu Island invasion was a major event. Plus the presence of a legendary item, the possibility of another Son of Destiny appearing was quite high.
But his thoughts were interrupted when—
"Fufu... Long time no see, my dear Lux~"
"?!!"
The templates around Lux were shocked because Queenie suddenly appeared before them undetected!
As they were about to attack, Lux gave a mental signal to stay calm.
"Chairman. Do you need something from me?"
"Silly question. Of course I want to see you~ You know... I've missed you so much~ Ah~"
Warm and fragrant breath wafted over Lux's mask. Despite smelling that intoxicating aroma, Lux wasn't affected at all.
Several female templates frowned in dislike.
Feeling the hidden sharp gazes, Queenie raised her eyebrows with interest.
"Oh? Are these four your group members? Not bad. I can feel their power is quite impressive. But..."
WOSH!
"?!!!"
BOOM!!
All four were thrown back. They tried to resist with all their might, but none could withstand Queenie's pressure!
"...To face me, that's not enough." Queenie looked disgustedly at the four, then slowly approached Lux, but—
BLAAARRRRR...!!!
A blue flame explosion struck, hitting Queenie's body!
The attack didn't hurt Queenie one bit. Instead, the woman blinked in surprise.
"You... can still move?" Queenie was sure she had pressed vital points to paralyze Lux's members.
The young man who now revealed himself didn't answer. Burn wounds on his face and hands were clearly visible beneath his black coat.
Although blood dripped from his lips, his expression remained cold. His dark blue eyes flashed dangerously.
"You underestimate us too much. The only thing that can stop us is... death."
'Us?'
Before Queenie understood that sentence, three different sword flashes lunged at her!
SLASH!
The missed slash split the place where Queenie stood earlier in two!
The attacker frowned in annoyance. "Disappointing... I wasn't fast enough—"
A shadow fist rushed to hit the small cloaked girl. Though small, that punch would be deadly for most Hunters!
The girl might be very agile, but in terms of physical endurance, she was the most vulnerable!
BANG!
The punch created a supersonic explosion, but strangely didn't hurt the cloaked girl.
A transparent green shield protected her, absorbing all damage though it broke in the next second.
'A shield capable of withstanding a Rank SSS attack? You've found interesting people, Lux.'
Interest began to grow within Queenie. But she didn't have time to think when a water slash lunged at her!
"<
'Water?'
Queenie briefly saw the illusion of a water slash before launching a counterattack—thousands of shadow stakes rained down on the attacker!
In an instant, the single powerful slash was destroyed, and the attack shifted to the cloaked young man.
Facing the terrifying shadow stakes, he didn't panic. Instead, he took a deep breath and murmured:
"<
For the first time, Queenie realized that swordsmanship wasn't something to be underestimated.
Faintly, the sound of dripping water could be heard.
The young man just stood still, but every shadow stake attacking him couldn't touch him.
Countless sword flashes cut, deflected, and destroyed all attacks!
But a Rank SSS Hunter's attack remained deadly. In the end, despite incredible sword techniques, the young man couldn't avoid dozens of fatal wounds.
Before his body gave up, the green shield protected him again.
Seeing this, Queenie began to feel annoyed, then her skin felt burned as the temperature suddenly increased drastically.
She looked around—blue fire shaped like a spider web spread in all directions. The young man with burn wounds was exerting all his power!
"<
With high precision, the strands of blue fire tore apart everything they touched with unimaginable temperature!
Several buildings behind Queenie vanished into blue ash when touched by the flames!
BOOOOOMMMM...!!!
"Impressive. Even a Rank S+ Hunter wouldn't survive uninjured. But for me..." That voice moved to the young man's ear. "...It can't scratch me at all."
BANGGGG...!!!
A shadow attack capable of killing a Rank S Hunter as easily as stepping on an ant shook the entire building, but again the green shield protected its target!
"Annoying shield—" Queenie began to get angry. But hundreds of green shields suddenly surrounded her. "Oh?" The woman was surprised.
With supersonic speed, a blue blade slash targeted Queenie's heart!
WOSSSHH...!!!
"So this is you?" Queenie stopped the glowing blue blade slash from the cloaked woman.
Although covered by a cloak, those cold clear blue eyes stared sharply at Queenie!
Not liking that gaze, Queenie intended to finish this woman off!
But as the battle was about to escalate—
"Enough."
CRASH!
All shadows and green shields shattered when Lux swung glass shards at an unexpected speed.
Standing calmly, the boy gave a warning look to the cloaked woman.
The woman immediately understood and backed off.
As for Queenie, she elegantly dusted off her shoulder. "They're quite interesting. I think they'll be very helpful in this raid. As usual, your choice is perfect."
Lux didn't respond.
Queenie chuckled. "Alright, I must go. By the way, I hope if we're all in danger, you'll lend a hand."
After saying that sentence, Queenie's body slowly sank into the shadows—as if the darkness itself swallowed her. Black fingers wrapped around her figure until nothing remained, leaving an eerie silence.
Lux just stared blankly at the place where Queenie disappeared. Not surprised, nor questioning. There was an unspoken understanding between them that didn't need to be expressed in words.
Mystic Eyes of Death Perception—a Talent that Queenie knew was behind Lux's eyes. An ability that even the system couldn't classify other than with the symbol "???". A talent that enabled its owner to see the lines of death on everything that existed—and with one touch, could sever that existence forever.
"...Are you all alright?" asked Lux in a low voice that contained caution. His gray eyes swept the surrounding area, capturing the lines of death invisible to others.
"Nothing threatening," answered the woman in emerald green cloak, though a small wound was visible on her pale cheek. Her green protective magic had managed to withstand most of the attack, leaving minor wounds that could be ignored.
Lux nodded briefly. Suddenly, his sharp senses caught waves of killing intent emanating from the shadows. Not one, not two, but dozens. Surrounding them from all directions like hungry wolves waiting for prey.
'This is going to be a very long day,' he thought.
His fingers touched the small knife behind his cloak. Cold, sharp, ready to cut any line of death that stood in his way.
[Ding! Obtained 10,000,000 Achievement Points!]
The system sounded in his head, but Lux had no time to think about it. His eyes flashed dangerously, preparing to face the coming storm.
***
"MOVE FASTER, YOU TRASH!"
That shouting voice echoed in the cave corridor, followed by the sound of a kick and a suppressed groan.
"Y-yes... sorry..." whispered the young man, coughing softly as he tried to get up from the rocky ground.
Rank A Hunter named Vash sneered in disgust. His golden eyes looked down on Lugh who was staggering to lift the equipment chest. Blood flowed thinly from the corner of the brown-haired youth's lips, but he dared not wipe it—afraid of getting another kick if his hands released the burden.
Lugh, with his dim emerald green eyes, could only bow his head. His tattered cloak was full of soil stains and blood spatters—either his own blood or the blood of monsters their team had faced earlier. As a Rank E Hunter, he was nothing more than a slave in this expedition.
'Appraisal'—his Rank E Talent was considered useless in battle. The ability to assess and analyze objects or living beings did have potential, but it required resources and intensive training to develop it.
Resources he never had.
"Damn, why are we who are Rank A Hunters ordered to guard in this disgusting place?" complained Vash, kicking a stone until it bounced off the cave wall.
His companion, a woman with a scar across her face, snorted. "Stop complaining. If you want to protest, protest to the First Order Chairman. You know yourself, going against his orders is the same as seeking death."
"BASTARD!" Vash hit the cave wall with his fist until cracks appeared, echoing terrifyingly along the corridor.
Lugh walked a few steps behind them, keeping a safe distance. Cold sweat poured down his forehead as he remembered the purpose of this raid—to conquer a monster nest with several Rank S Magical Beasts, there was even a rumor about the presence of a Rank SSS monster in the depths of the cave.
In the Shadow Order Guild, Rank E Hunters like him were merely sacrifices. Meat to be thrown to monsters in critical situations. A bitter reality he had to swallow since joining.
It was then, in the midst of his troubled thoughts, that Lugh's emerald eyes caught a strange flash between the cracks of a large rock—a small box with ancient engravings that glowed faintly in the darkness.
"What is that...?" he whispered, his heart pounding either from fear or anticipation.
Without anyone's knowledge, his Rank E 'Appraisal' Talent blinked active, and information began to flow into his mind—information that would change his fate forever.