Actually, what was the silver-haired knight even thinking...?

It was already painfully obvious that the assassin possessed the ability to kill every one of them several times over.

Only moments ago, the Sauryean had remained completely hidden, yet it had still forced the three awakened youths into a desperate retreat, overwhelming them with attacks they could neither perceive nor defend against.

And even now, after finally revealing itself, it radiated an oppressive confidence that made the surrounding forest feel unbearably small, causing even Regaleon to be uncertain about would happen next.

The silver-haired knight was still sorting through his thoughts when the assassin moved again...

Unlike before, however, it made no attempt to rush forward.

Instead, the cloaked figure calmly raised one slender hand before slipping it beneath the folds of it’s dark cloak. The movement was smooth and almost elegant, devoid of the slightest urgency.

A heartbeat later, the hand emerged with ree polished silver knives resting effortlessly between it’s fingers.

The blades gleamed beneath the crimson light filtering through the forest canopy, their mirror-like surfaces reflecting distorted fragments of the surrounding woods.

There was no warning of any kind; no gathering of strength nor any obvious throwing motion as the assassin flicked its wrist. Then suddenly, the knives vanished...

Regaleon’s instincts exploded and without a moment’s hesitation, he violently jerked his head to the side...

WHOOSH!

A silver streak ripped through the space where his face had been less than an instant earlier...

It passed so close that, for the briefest fraction of a second, Regaleon caught sight of his own reflection racing across its polished surface.

Then it disappeared into the forest behind him, striking a distant tree.

At almost the same instant, neither Veyrath nor Vaelorin needed a warning because the moment the assassin reached beneath its cloak, both of them had already tensed instinctively.

Days of surviving impossible situations had clearly trained their bodies to react before their minds could even comprehend the danger.

Therefore, the instant the knives were released, Veyrath threw himself sideways while Vaelorin twisted awkwardly despite the agonizing wound in his shoulder...

WHOOSH!

Both blades narrowly missed...

However, one knife skimmed so close to Veyrath’s neck that the failed Alchemist felt the icy current trailing behind it brush against his skin.

Goosebumps erupted across his entire body in an instant as his amber eyes widened with a frightening realization; once again, had escaped death by the smallest possible margin...

No one relaxed after the strike...

Regaleon’s gaze instinctively shifted toward the place where his halberd had landed after being thrown earlier.

The weapon still rested several meters away but it was too far and there wasn’t enough time for him to go for it.

So abandoning the thought immediately, he lowered his center of gravity and assumed a defensive stance instead, every muscle in his body tightening as his golden eyes locked onto the assassin once more.

Only for his pupils to suddenly contract because the place where the cloaked figure had been standing... Was now empty.

The assassin was gone. And as though it had simply dissolved into thin air, there were no footprints, no swaying cloak, no disturbed leaves, and not even the faintest whisper of movement remaining behind.

It was as if the assassin had never existed in that spot to begin with.

Veyrath’s breathing became ragged, his trembling gaze fixated upon the empty clearing as he asked.

"W-Where the hell did he go...?"

His voice barely rose above a frightened whisper, coloured by the cold dread that had gripped his heart.

No one answered his question...

Even Vaelorin’s fiery eyes darted frantically from tree to tree, his grip tightening around his staff until his knuckles turned white.

Every bush, shadow, and crimson tree suddenly looked capable of concealing death itself and immediately an overwhelming sense of danger settled over the forest. After all, their enemy could suddenly appear from anywhere and strike them down.

Regaleon slowly rotated where he stood, refusing to leave even the smallest blind spot behind him.

His instincts screamed relentlessly for him to act... Yet his senses perceived absolutely nothing. Just then, a dark blur suddenly flashed past him...

It was fast. Far too fast for even his enhanced vision to properly follow.

His senses had barely registered the movement before a sharp, burning pain erupted across his side...

SLASH!

The assassin streamed past him like drifting smoke...

And by the time Regaleon managed to turn around, the cloaked figure had already vanished once more.

Only a faint ripple among the crimson leaves remained, gently swaying where something impossibly fast had just passed.

Regaleon’s hand immediately moved toward his side. His fingers brushed against the golden breastplate and then froze instantly.

His brows furrowed as he examined the spot.

There was long diagonal slash stretcheing across the armor covering his torso; it wasn’t a shallow scratch nor was it a dent.

Instead, the cut was deep. Deep enough to tear through the golden surface, leaving behind an unmistakable scar that is several inches long.

For several seconds, Regaleon simply stared. Then slowly, almost mechanically, he reached out and traced the damaged section with his fingertips.

His expression stiffened when he touched it.

"Impossible..."

The word escaped his lips in a disbelieving whisper.

His silver eyes narrowed as he looked disbelievingly at the damage. Actually, this...

This should never have happened.

A Soul Essence was no ordinary artifact.

Instead, it was a supernatural relic whose origins remained one of Aetherium’s greatest mysteries. Even after countless generations, no scholar had uncovered where Soul Essences truly came from.

However, one fact had always remained absolute. A Soul Essence could not be damaged by ordinary materials.

Only another Soul Essence of equal or greater tier, or a handful of exceedingly rare substances capable of interacting with Soul Essences, could leave even the slightest mark upon one.

That was common knowledge and it was also the very reason Regaleon had never truly feared the assassin’s throwing knives because when he had observed them earlier, they had shown none of the unique aura possessed by Soul Essences.

They should have been nothing more than exceptionally crafted blades. Yet, his Count-Tier Armour had been cut and a genuine Soul Essence... Had been damaged.

Regaleon’s expression darkened as the realization slowly dawned upon him. He had actually misjudged the assassin.

Those knives were not Soul Essences, but that did not mean they were mundane.

In reality, there existed a handful of legendary materials capable of harming Soul Essences despite not being Soul Essences themselves.

These materials are so rare that most people would never see even a fragment of them during their entire lives. Perhaps, the assassin’s blade was made from such materials.

However, before he could think any further, the assassin appeared again. But this time, it reappeared behind Veyrath...

The auburn-haired Alchemist’s entire body reacted instinctively. Every hair on the back of his neck stood upright and without even turning around, he threw himself forward...

But it was too late because before he could complete the motion, a silver flash carved through the air...

SLASH!

Blood splashed across the crimson grass...

Veyrath cried out as a knife sliced cleanly across his upper arm before disappearing just as quickly as it had arrived.

He stumbled several steps forward, clutching the fresh wound as blood seeped rapidly between his fingers. His head whipped around toward the assassin but there was nothing.

Once more, the assassin had vanished again.

Silence returned to the forest; a very suffocating one...

Then the whole thing happened again... And again. One moment the cloaked hunter was nowhere to be seen. The next, it would emerge from an impossible angle, unleash a single attack, and disappear before any of them could retaliate...

Sometimes it targeted Regaleon, sometimes it’s target was Vaelorin, and other times, it simply went for Veyrath...

Each strike was swift, each attack was precise, each disappearance was absolute, and before long, the three awakened youths found themselves spinning endlessly, desperately trying to predict where death would emerge next...

In fact, at this point, it felt less like a battle and more like prey being toyed with by a predator that had long since decided the outcome.

Regaleon’s jaw tightened, his silver eyes never stopped searching the forest. However, one thought continued to repeat itself inside his mind as he searched.

If the assassin had truly wanted them dead, it could have ended all of their lives already. That was clearly obvious because by the look of things, the power gap that existed between the two sides was abyssal.

However, it hadn’t. And that was where the question came in. Why hadn’t it ended them already?

Why continue this merciless game of cat and mouse?

The silver-haired Knight pondered over those questions for a long time but he couldn’t discern the true motives of the killer. Therefore, for the first time since entering the Crimson Forest, even Regaleon found himself unable to answer simple questions...