Chapter 130
Chapter 130
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 130
Chapter Title: The Beginning of the Turbulent Times (5)
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Five assassins from the Assassin Guild charged at Martin, stepping off the floor, walls, and ceiling.
The distance was so short that they closed in instantly, all thrusting daggers wrapped in aura.
Blades swirling with multicolored lights targeted Martin's vital points precisely.
But just before the attacks could land, Martin flicked his left index finger.
At that moment, gravity enhanced by All Things Distortion slammed down on all the assassins.
Kwaaaang!
"Kuhk!"
"Ugh!"
The assassins screamed as they were smashed into the floor.
However, they had only lost consciousness—no one was dead.
"You don't have to worry about dying. I have no intention of killing off the guys I plan to work to the bone from now on with my own hands."
Martin spoke in a relaxed manner.
That attitude was more than enough to provoke the assassins' rage.
Chwaruk!
Two assassins outside Martin's reach hurled ropes from front and back.
The aura-infused ropes wriggled like snakes, trying to ensnare him, but Martin simply reached out with both hands and grabbed them lightly.
The two assassins panicked at the unexpected response, but only for a moment.
The pair, bulkier than their comrades, tried to topple Martin's balance with sheer strength.
But what was this?
Martin didn't budge, as solid as a massive boulder.
"Trying to hold me with something like this? Isn't that a bit too arrogant? Even your guild master's shadow couldn't catch me."
No sooner had he spoken than Martin yanked the ropes.
The two assassins couldn't hold their ground and tumbled to the floor in a pathetic heap.
The Shadow King furrowed his brow and asked.
"Weren't his physical abilities supposed to be abysmal, Young Master?"
"When exactly did you gather your intel? Do you think the head of the Assassin Guild could get by with such slow information gathering?"
"I'm wondering how many people on the continent could properly gauge your power. No one could predict that absurd growth rate of yours."
"The Emperor and the two dukes from the three great houses seemed to figure it out just fine?"
"......They're exceptions."
The Shadow King shook his head.
Seeing this, Martin smirked.
'Even I think my growth rate is fast.'
Whenever the chance arose, he applied or ingested dragon blood.
In the meantime, he steadily enhanced his physical abilities through the breathing technique of the Lotaer School, and even learned swordsmanship from the founding matriarch, Arellia.
As a result, his physical prowess had improved rapidly, and now it was nearly on par with his peak before regression.
It wasn't unreasonable that the Shadow King hadn't anticipated it.
"There are still plenty of fighters left, but... this level of force won't cut it. And fighting a spatial ability user in a confined space is suicide."
Chwaaak!
No sooner had he spoken than the Shadow King unleashed dozens of shadow tendrils, shattering the ceiling.
The shadows continued surging upward, even punching through the shop's roof.
Then, the Shadow King and the assassins leaped upward as if they had been waiting.
Some among them raised their voices.
"Martin Adalbert has appeared!"
"Martin Adalbert is in the Gourmet District!"
The Shadow King smiled as he looked down at Martin.
"Now the underworld thugs and the Second Prince's knights will swarm in. I think it'd be best if you didn't push yourself and turned back now."
"Forgot already? I told you, unless Marquis Royce or his family's knight commander steps in, I won't have any reason to run."
"Even if you've reached 8th Circle, you seem to be overestimating yourself, Young Master. You'll only come to your senses after you regret it later."
"Looks like you really didn't hear me. I said someone like you won't be enough."
With that, Martin deployed Spatial Probe.
Information on the current building and surroundings flooded in real-time.
He could sense large numbers of the Second Prince's knights and underworld organization members rushing in.
However, there wasn't a single one he considered a real powerhouse.
Whether they were absent or deemed this not worth their time, it made things easier for him.
'So many with poor learning curves. Do they really think numerical superiority will beat me?'
At the same time, he found the enemy pitiful.
With that thought, Martin drew up his power.
Mana poured from the mana cores in his abdomen and head at his will, erupting outward and shaking the atmosphere.
Kukukung!
In an instant, a massive whirlwind formed, and its tremendous force caused the building to collapse completely.
At its center, Martin rose into the air.
He surveyed the enemies approaching him.
"Guess I should thank you later."
Regardless of how irritating the Shadow King's words were, calling in the enemies had been helpful.
After all, the purpose of this fight had been twofold from the start.
One was to hear the truth from the Shadow King, and the other was to screw over the Second Prince and diminish their faction's prestige.
Wiping out the Second Prince's knights and underworld scum here would tarnish the image they gained from their victory in the preliminary round.
"Consider yourself lucky, Shadow King. If you didn't know the truth—or even if you did but lacked the talent—I would've killed you already."
But this was the last time he'd go easy.
Martin muttered that as he infused flames into the whirlwind.
Kwakwakwa!
The fiery whirlwind began devouring the Gourmet District.
'I'll make sure to compensate for the damages later.'
That was the extent of it.
Dealing with the Assassin Guild's killers, or fighting the Second Prince's knights and other underworld trash, brought him no particular thrill.
And so the battle resumed.
The outcome unfolded as predetermined.
* * *
Over half the shops representing the Gourmet District had burned down and collapsed, with more than a hundred corpses strewn around the area.
The survivors, including the Shadow King, were in no better shape.
"......You've become a monster, Young Master."
"Calling me a monster is a bit much, don't you think? There are real monsters out there."
"Of course, those at 9th Circle and above boast terrifying prowess. But you've surpassed most 8th Circle experts."
Due to the limits of his own power, he hadn't assassinated anyone at 9th Circle or higher, but he had tangled with up to 8th Circle on occasion.
Most ended in failure, but he had killed two 8th Circle powerhouses.
That's why he was called the Shadow King.
From those experiences, he could gauge Martin's skill level with certainty.
"At this rate, it wouldn't be surprising if you reached 9th Circle soon."
"Thanks for the praise, but that doesn't change anything. You have only one job to do."
"Hoo."
The Shadow King let out a sigh.
Then he signaled his subordinates around him.
The assassins, understanding the intent, immediately attacked the Second Prince's knights and underworld organization members nearby.
"Wh-what is this... Aaaagh!"
"Betraying us, Shadow King?!"
"Betrayal? You're talking nonsense. The Assassin Guild never agreed to ally with you in the first place."
The Shadow King replied indifferently to the wailing knight.
In the meantime, the assassins faithfully carried out the orders, and soon everyone except them lay dead as cold corpses.
"Collect the wounded and head to the safehouse. I'll issue further orders later on what to do next."
"Understood!"
At the Shadow King's command, the assassins hoisted their injured comrades and departed.
That left only Martin and the Shadow King in the Gourmet District.
"No one left to hear now, so tell me the truth about Doom."
"I was planning to anyway. The one who brought me Doom was indeed a member of the Klaus family, as you suspected. But since they hid their identity, I can't tell you exactly who."
"Doesn't seem like a lie. Why'd they tell you to research Doom instead of the Drug King?"
"According to him, Duke Klaus entrusted the same commission to the Drug King and other underworld leaders. So there was no issue with me getting involved in narcotics."
Werner von Klaus was a 10th Circle grand mage, but he didn't overestimate his own abilities.
That's why he involved others to explore Doom's various possibilities.
After hearing the explanation, Martin asked.
"What did they offer in return for helping with the research?"
"It was dangerous, so I tried to back out... but the sum was too huge. Even I, who considers myself well-off, was shocked."
"No matter how big the amount, I doubt someone like you would accept just for money."
"If I'd refused, I'd have died right there. The one who came to me had the skill to make it happen."
Martin didn't think the Shadow King was exaggerating.
A 7th Circle expert was easily in the top 100 of the Alteria Empire.
But the three great houses—like the Ferdinand or Klaus families—had plenty of powerhouses who could kill such people, so it made sense for the Shadow King to tread carefully.
"I get the situation. For more info on Doom, we'll have to check with the other northern underworld groups. You'll cooperate, right?"
"......You're asking me to oppose the Klaus family now? I'd rather kill myself."
"Then how about I just kill you?"
When Martin smiled and asked, the Shadow King shut his mouth.
Werner von Klaus was a truly frightening foe, but the Martin before him had more than enough power to kill him.
"You must know this already, being as clever as you are, Shadow King. Does the Klaus family have the bandwidth to worry about the underworld right now? They won the preliminary round, sure, but all they did was beat back the First Prince's faction once. The Ferdinand family's forces are intact, and that's the Klaus family's real enemy."
"Hoo. True enough."
"Even without that, the Klaus family could only meddle in the northern underworld because the main house was temporarily weakened. Now that the main house's power is nearly back to its peak, the geographically distant Klaus branch has limits to its influence. And you think they'd go against me, the ruler of the north? What if I smashed every Assassin Guild safehouse—think that'd change your mind?"
The Shadow King sighed again.
He knew full well.
That Martin had the power to back up his words.
"It's a first for me. Extending my hand twice to someone who showed hostility. That's how much I value your abilities, but honestly, I won't give a third chance. Crushing capable enemies early on sits better with me."
"Understood, Young Master. I'll cooperate in gathering info on Doom."
"That's part of it, but first, I have a task for you."
"......Once I finish that task and the Doom-related work, let me go."
"So you won't join the Adalbert family?"
"That's right. I have something I must do."
"Well, not thrilled, but I'll settle for that much for now. But even if I let you go, no antagonizing me."
"I'll keep that in mind."
The Shadow King replied listlessly.
Martin chuckled inwardly at the sight.
'As if I'd really let him go.'
Capable people need to be kept under heel and worked.
One half-hearted approach like last time was enough.
Once he fully grasped the bait to reel in the fish, he'd hook him for good.
Martin steeled his resolve inwardly.
"Anyway, what task?"
"Go here, rescue the people, and bring back photos."
He pulled a note from his pocket and handed it to the Shadow King.
The Shadow King looked puzzled as he read it; it was an address.
"Some kind of prison?"
"In a way, yeah. You'll figure it out right away."
"Got it. After this, I'll gather the Doom info."
"Good. I'm counting on you."
That was when Martin replied.
He sensed an enormous presence approaching.
It had to be Nicholas von Royce.
"Ah. Looks like he's finally here."
He was willing to fight, but now wasn't the time.
Nicholas needed to be broken in front of everyone.
For now, he'd settle for having thoroughly upended the man's plans.
Plus, there was one more thing to screw him over with.
Watching the reaction would be fun.
"See you later, then."
"Will do."
Wooong.
Martin vanished into space, and the Shadow King into the shadows.
"Martin Adalbert!"
Right after, Nicholas's roar upon arriving in the Gourmet District shook the surroundings.
But despite its thunder, it rang utterly hollow.