Chapter 152: Chapter 152: Seen By None, Felt By None

Elsewhere, inside an inconspicuous old building, the outline of a busty middle-aged woman came into sight.

Strapped in an elegant dark stealth suit that revealed her voluptuous curves, her figure flickered repeatedly in the darkness. Vanishing and reappearing at intervals of thirty seconds each time.

If a regular person were present to witness the sight, they would have been shocked. One moment the woman stood before them, the next she was gone, her figure completely melding with the darkness. A truly perplexing display.

All while she trained, she muttered a chant beneath her breath, repeating it every time her figure vanished.

"Shroud of darkness, veil my existence from heaven and earth. Let the night flow through my body. Let silence consume my presence. Seen by none... felt by none. Until the moment death descends."

As she repeated it for the umpteenth time, she suddenly paused, sensing something in the distance.

Her eyes snapped open. Her figure flickered, disappearing for a moment before appearing at the edge of the room.

A tiny rat had sneaked in.

"How did you get in here?" the woman mumbled as she crouched to stare closely at the little creature.

A little startled, the rat squealed in panic as it sensed the new presence.

But the woman didn’t let it flee. She breathed soothingly, one finger moving to gently tap the rat’s head.

"Shhh."

A soulless look hovered in her obsidian eyes as she muttered coldly inwardly.

Veil of Inner Demons.

As she deployed one of her illusions on the poor creature, the panic in the rat bloomed into full-blown fear. It squealed madly as all its dreaded little fears replayed before it in real time.

Perhaps to others the sudden change might have unsettled them. But the woman stared blankly, a knowing glint flashing across her eyes.

Fear was born from awareness itself. As long as a being possessed sentience, the mind would always harbor something it dreaded. It didn’t matter if it was a rat or a human. They were the same.

A few seconds passed as the rat jerked repeatedly, running around in a futile attempt to break free.

After it had depleted all its energy, its jerking motions still continued. Exhaling quietly, the woman’s hand reached out to tap its head once more as a whisper parted from her lips.

"Mirage of Desire."

Instantly, the panicked and fearful state of the rat was replaced by a calm and relaxed one as everything it ever desired played repeatedly in its mind.

Seeing the sudden change, the woman shook her head slightly.

Just as all sentient beings harbored fear... so too did they cling to desire.

Yet everything was ultimately pointless. She mused, grabbing the rat and squeezing tightly. Its body exploded in a mess of blood and bones.

In the ensuing silence, she pondered over the two states for a few minutes. Before an insight flickered in her eyes. She mumbled beneath her breath as she rose to her feet.

"Fear and desire... two chains binding all sentient life. One flees from suffering, the other chases false happiness.

Yet in the end, both are merely fleeting illusions. Such is the fragility of life beneath heaven."

Chuckling at the pointlessness of it all, she resumed refining her stealth. It was, after all, the foundation of her being as a feared assassin.

Each day she grew more in tune with it. Just like her mother before her, who had passed on the teachings. And now her daughter, continuing the great lineage of assassins.

To most other powerhouses, they didn’t think much of it. But she thought differently. When refined with clear intent, the assassin class could be one of the most terrifying.

It had never failed her before. With only one exception in her life, a single figure who had overcome it. His mastery and control over the essence of darkness was so great and intricate that it almost gave her the illusion he embodied the very concept itself. If only she...

Before she could spiral deeper into her thoughts, they were cut short by a series of clapping sounds echoing from the darkness.

Clap! Clap! Clap!

Through instinct, her hand reached out, grabbing a poisoned dagger before hurling it toward the source.

On other occasions she would have been more curious and patient, waiting for the figure to reveal themselves. But one thing scared her.

The sound had echoed within a ten-meter radius, and more terrifyingly, she hadn’t even felt the figure approach.

Crouching into a battle stance, her eyes narrowed in surprise as she watched a dark-robed figure step out of the darkness.

Holding her poisoned blade by the tip of two fingers as if it held no inconvenience to him.

"Hahaha... very interesting." Ulric chuckled, stepping out of the cover of darkness after monitoring the middle-aged woman for a little while.

He hadn’t meant to be creepy. But watching her training had been captivating, and even a little insightful.

"Huh? Y-you... what are you doing here?" Amelia breathed. Her worry slowly eased as she tried to hide the surprise and awe raging in her eyes. She could never get used to how smoothly he bent darkness to his will.

Circling her figure, Ulric continued, "I had a feeling I would find you here."

As his words echoed in her ears, a gasp slipped past her lips as Ulric grabbed her hand. The cold feel of steel pressed against it as he handed her back the dagger.

Feeling the grip of his fingers, her head rose involuntarily. Her obsidian eyes locked with his crimson gaze for a moment before she suddenly paused. Her face heated up slightly as a foreign sensation flushed through her body.

She didn’t know why, but every time the youth cast his gaze on her, she felt this way. And as if acting like a gateway, memories of their... special night flooded her mind. Causing the faint blush on her face to spread furiously as she took a step back.

A few moments passed in silence, the tension building until she couldn’t take it anymore.

"Why did you come... I mean—" She blubbered, unleashing all the pent-up frustration.

***

Amelia’s gaze lowered slightly as memories resurface

After the clash with the coalition of clans, she had stood guard over him during the month he spent in seclusion.

Ever since she met the youth, she had found him peculiar. But even with all that, his monstrous potential was undeniable.

One thing was certain: Tempest couldn’t contain him for long.

She had been surprised to see how he held Amber and the rest in high regard, even Tara and herself. More surprisingly, despite their previous unpleasant past.

In the end, she had a feeling he would bring them with him in all his future ventures. But she couldn’t.

Although she was barely middle-aged, she understood she was well past her golden years for walking the path of power.

But Tara was different... she was young. She had seen the youth’s ascension. Seen Tara wield the power of flames, power she never even thought possible. She had seen how happy she was, and that was enough.

She would walk the path of power in her stead. Achieve what she had always dreamed of. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

Finishing her thoughts, she mumbled quietly,

"I... can’t..."

So few words, yet the multiple emotions flickering across her obsidian eyes and troubled face told him everything he needed to know.

Raising one hand, he reached out to caress her face gently as a quiet sigh slipped past his lips.

Not everyone aspired to walk the grand path of strength. Some had tried and were satisfied with what they achieved. A peaceful life while being a feared assassin on the side wasn’t that bad.

Ulric chuckled slightly at the thought before leaning forward and pressing his lips over hers.

Stealing her breath for a moment, he then turned to leave.

But before he could, she suddenly reached out to tug at his arm, drawing his attention.

"More... I want... more," she muttered pleadingly. Before he could respond, she rushed forward, sealing her lips over his as her voluptuous breasts pressed against his chest.

When she pulled away, he could see the burning heat in her eyes. Relenting, he drew her closer.

He had acquired a surplus of energy from his breakthrough. It was time to let some of that pent-up energy out.

With that thought in mind, one hand reached out to grab her waist tightly while his other hand trailed across her body.

Then, his fist suddenly clenched, ripping apart the stealth suit covering her upper torso in one fluid motion.

The sudden gesture elicited a sharp gasp, followed by soft moans as Amelia lowered her head slightly in embarrassment.

Feeling the youth’s hands fondle her breasts and squeeze her stiff, sensitive nipples, waves of pleasure crashed through her body.

Fueling the desire raging within her until she couldn’t take it anymore, she leaned forward and whispered into his ear before ripping away the rest of her stealth suit, leaving herself fully bare.

Staring at her needy expression, Ulric chuckled softly before speaking.

"Very well."