258 Assassin
Susanna’s eyes fixed on Lumian as he dashed towards her, his body engulfed in crimson flames. She absorbed energy from the surrounding crowd, including peddlers, pedestrians, and tenants hanging from the trees. Her goal was to restore her combat abilities as quickly as possible.
She wasn’t worried about Lumian causing her harm. Positioned at the top of the tree crown, she knew he couldn’t reach her. Moreover, she was one with the Tree of Shadow, making her nearly invulnerable. Without godhood, any attack would only cause minor injuries, incapable of killing or severely harming her.
Thud! Thud! Thud! Lumian sprinted into an area where tree branches and vines entangled, with a hundred to two hundred humans dangling from above.
The brownish-green foliage tried to ensnare and pierce him, but his fiery aura forced them to retreat in panic.
Suddenly, a rumbling sound shook the ground. The brownish-green tree descended rapidly, shrinking its height to seven to eight meters.
The violent tremors across the wilderness made it difficult for Lumian to advance.
…
Rumble. A tremor like an earthquake shook the crystal chandelier in the banquet hall. Terrified expressions appeared on the faces of most people present. Quick-thinking individuals sought shelter under the long table draped in a white tablecloth.
The team assigned to protect Hugues Artois consisted of Imre, a mixed-blood individual, Valentine, and a Warrior pathway Beyonder named Antoine.
Sensing the anomaly simultaneously, they tacitly sent Imre to investigate. He rushed to the window and peered out, trying to locate the source of the disturbance.
Imre observed that several houses in Rue Anarchie, Rue du Rossignol, and Rue des Blouses Blanches had tilted to a certain degree, but they had not collapsed. Their surfaces were covered with brownish-green branches and vines.
In comparison, the prominent feature was the brownish-green tree, situated roughly on Rue Anarchie. It descended, adorned with numerous tree tumors and flowers.
The scene lasted only a few seconds before returning to normal, as if an unsuccessful painting had been replaced by another work.
“What’s happening?” Hugues Artois calmly approached the window and inquired.
Imre didn’t hold back any information. He lowered his voice and replied sincerely, “Anomalies have occurred on Rue Anarchie, Rue du Rossignol, and Rue des Blouses Blanches.”
Rue Anarchie, Rue du Rossignol, Rue des Blouses Blanches… As Jenna, who had approached a nearby window but missed witnessing the scene, heard the street names, her feet froze in place.
Two names immediately surfaced in her mind: Ciel, Franca…
Had they encountered the anomaly? Jenna’s heart sank, and she instinctively looked at Hugues Artois.
She noticed a curl forming on the member of parliament’s lips, as if he couldn’t hide his delight.
It’s him… It’s him and his group of heretics! Jenna’s mind instantly reached a conclusion. Darkness enveloped her, and despair surged through her uncontrollably.
Could Franca and Ciel withstand the planned attack by the heretics and survive this anomaly?
Should I rush to their aid with my current strength? Or will I only bring harm to them?
At that moment, Jenna felt as if the pillars supporting her—her two friends who had always stood by her side—were about to crumble, just as she had lost her mother.
And it was all the fault of the heretics, of Hugues Artois!
Her thoughts drifted to Franca’s words when she consumed the potion and transformed into an Assassin, warning Jenna to avoid contact with evil gods.
“Contact with evil gods will bring nothing but disaster.
“Not only will it drive a person to madness and strip away their true self, but it will also drag everyone around them into darkness, whether they know them or not.
“If we don’t eliminate those individuals, the influence of the evil gods will persist. The pain will return again and again, unending.”
And now, Hugues Artois stood at the center of all the market district’s disasters.
Jenna lowered her head, unable to meet Hugues Artois’s gaze, afraid that her eyes would betray the pain and hatred within.
Hatred consumed her!
Yet, she could only remind herself that her brother Julien was still alive, albeit with a certain mental ailment that could be cured. If he lost his sister next, he might truly spiral into irredeemable madness.
After the banquet concludes, after the factory owners provide their “compensation,” and after I settle all our debts, I’ll take Julien and leave the market district and Quartier du Jardin Botanique. We’ll find another place to live, far from the ensuing pain… Jenna repeated these words to herself, desperately trying to contain her emotions.
“Why is there another anomaly?” Hugues Artois questioned Imre, Valentine, and Antoine.
Imre offered a bitter smile and replied, “I witnessed that tree. It has appeared multiple times in Trier’s history, but it has never been fully resolved.”
Ever since joining the Purifier team in Trier, he had learned about the hidden dangers lurking beneath the ground that couldn’t be entirely purified. The brownish-green tree was one of them.
He, his superiors, and his teammates couldn’t fathom why Trier had been established atop such things in the first place.
Without giving Hugues Artois time to question their capabilities any further, Imre added,
“Now that the anomaly has been discovered, it won’t be long before it’s suppressed.”
As a member of the elite Purifier team, he knew that Trier differed from other countries’ capitals. Due to the perpetual underground dangers, both the former royal family and the current parliamentary government had agreed to the two Churches’ secret dispatching of an angel each or placed Grade 0 Sealed Artifacts in Trier to prevent any mishaps.
Of course, during periods when the royal family and government held immense power, the Church’s angels refrained from interfering. For example, during Emperor Roselle’s reign.
Once the anomaly caused by the peculiar tree was exposed, it would swiftly face a devastating blow. Although it couldn’t be completely eradicated, it would be kept under control for a considerable time.
…
After the swift and violent descent of the Tree of Shadow, the wilderness stabilized. Gabriel, Pavard Neeson, and the others remained suspended from the branches, their faces growing pale and blackened, as if drained of energy.
Lumian regained his balance and continued sprinting towards the nearby brownish-green tree, still engulfed in crimson flames.
At that moment, Susanna Mattise had regained a significant portion of her strength. Lumian’s figure appeared in her eyes, awaiting his approach within the range of her current abilities.
Behind Lumian, a shadow detached itself from its owner and stealthily lunged at his back.
It was Charlotte Calvino, “acting” as a shadow!
Having not been the host of the ritual and being far from the treetop, she had not suffered the backlash or intense corruption, thus her strength had not waned. Seeing Lumian turn around, she quickly hid herself, and put to show her acting abilities, ready to execute a surprise attack
Suddenly, a gunshot pierced through the air in the distance.
The iron-black bullet was too distant and lacked precision. It grazed Charlotte’s body, but it disrupted her plans.
Wearing a blouse, light-colored breeches, and red boots, Franca emerged at the edge of the wilderness, clutching a brass revolver. She cursed at Lumian’s retreating form and shouted, “F*ck, don’t you think I’m on your team?”
…
Noticing that the street had returned to its “normal” state, Hugues Artois made his way back to the center of the banquet hall, holding a glass of light-gold champagne. Standing before the gathering, he began his speech as usual.
“Ladies and gentlemen, it is an honor to have you join us for this condolence banquet. Please join me in a moment of silence to honor those who have tragically departed…
“As you can see, yet another accident has occurred in the market district. We cannot continue like this. We must establish a more efficient and adaptable system to handle such situations.
“I understand that many of you harbor anger and fear in light of the recent accident. Your loved ones may have lost their lives, sustained severe injuries, or perhaps experienced agitation, mental breakdowns, and madness as a result of this…”
Jenna’s head shot up upon hearing these words, her gaze fixed on Hugues Artois once more.
He had just mentioned “agitation, mental breakdowns, and madness” in such specific detail.
Under normal circumstances, such elaboration would not be necessary. A simple reference to insanity would suffice.
Did Hugues Artois know that someone would suffer a mental breakdown due to the chemical plant explosion and go mad? And was he deliberately mentioning it in his speech, as if a criminal returning to the crime scene, reveling in his sinister handiwork? An absurd mix of hatred and fear consumed Jenna’s heart.
If her suspicions were correct, Julien’s mental breakdown might have been influenced by the heretics!
Could he be cured? Could he be saved?
If I don’t sever the source, even if I leave the market district with Julien, there might still be hidden dangers and lingering problems in the future! The feeling of desperation overwhelmed Jenna, as if she were trapped in an inescapable darkness.
Her pupils dilated, reflecting Hugues Artois’s figure with a chilling clarity.
Imre, Valentine, and Antoine’s expressions darkened, their gazes falling, as they heard Hugues Artois’s implicit accusations against the two Churches.
…
The alternate space that accompanied the Tree of Shadow lay in ruins. Some areas were coated with pitch-black mucus, while others bore gaping holes, as if swallowed by an endless void.
Suddenly, a glimmer of light emerged from the shrunken door of starlight.
It grew brighter and brighter, akin to a transformed sun, illuminating every nook and cranny with an eerie clarity, banishing all shadows.
A female figure draped in a white robe adorned with golden threads emerged from the radiant source. She appeared to be crafted from pure light, translucent and ethereal. With emerald green eyes and flowing blond hair, she exuded beauty and a divine aura.
The guardian angel of Trier, Saint Viève.
…
Amidst the applause, Hugues Artois, having concluded his speech, mingled with the families of the victims, champagne glass in hand. He displayed enthusiasm, friendliness, and a trustworthy demeanor.
Jenna closed her eyes and wandered towards the long table dressed in a white tablecloth. She picked up a plate and placed some food on it, then grabbed a long silver fork and began to eat.
As she ate, she slowly approached Hugues Artois in a daze.
Drawing near, just two meters away, she assumed a stance that suggested a conversation with Monsieur Member of Parliament.
Surrounded by his team and guarded by official Beyonders, Hugues Artois noticed Jenna. He smiled warmly, anticipating her approach.
Jenna passed by Secretary Rh?ne and positioned herself a step away from Hugues Artois.
Before their conversation could commence, the ground trembled once more, accompanied by a resounding rumble. Rue Anarchie and Rue des Blouses Blanches seemed to brighten significantly.
Cassandra, Hugues Artois, and the others turned their bodies instinctively, gazing out of the window, their concern evident.
Witnessing this, Jenna closed her eyes once more. Then, she took a step forward, raising the silver fork in her hand towards Hugues Artois!
All the emotions suppressed within her heart erupted.
You wretched politician, the bringer of disaster and darkness to the market district!
You heretic, your conscience devoured by a dog!
You are the bastard responsible for my mother’s death and my brother’s descent into madness!
Perish now!
Without your demise, the suffering in the market district shall never cease. Darkness shall engulf this place, preventing the dawn from breaking.
Indeed, with heretics surrounding you and the protection of official Beyonders, anyone attempting to confront you would meet their demise here, dissuaded by the risk.
But what if an assassin has no intention of leaving alive?
Jenna channeled all her hatred, outrage, and pain into the long-handled silver fork in her grasp. She unleashed an Assassin’s Mighty Blow, aiming for Hugues Artois’s exposed right eye as he turned his body.
In that moment, she glimpsed the surprise, confusion, and fear etched upon his face. She witnessed Hugues Artois frantically glancing towards Cassandra, pleading for assistance.
Cassandra’s line of sight was obstructed by Purifier Imre, who had subtly stepped diagonally, leaving her unaware of the imminent danger.
With a squelching sound, the long-handled silver fork in Jenna’s right hand plunged deep into Hugues Artois’s eye socket, piercing into his brain.
Hugues Artois’s expression froze. The fear, confusion, and terror remained etched on his visage. Time did not permit much change, only revealing a profound sense of despair.
Jenna watched as crimson blood gushed forth, and Hugues Artois’s countenance gradually crumbled under the lights. Surrounding her, red sparks erupted, whether from firearms or supernatural abilities. She closed her eyes with a serene smile, surrendering to her fate.
Mother, I see the light.