*****Thinking about Xavier’s casual revelation, a collective gasp swept through the crowd, leaving everyone stunned to their very core.No one had anticipated such an earth-shattering twist. Whispers buzzed through the air like static, but none dared speak too loudly. The atmosphere was suffocating, weighed down by something invisible yet terrifying.Only one man trembled in sheer dread… Morderk.He wasn’t just surprised like the rest. No, he was drowning in a cold, unrelenting fear, because he alone understood the true implications of Xavier’s claim.If what the boy said was indeed real, then it was over for Bloodfang Viper. Worse, Morderk himself would definitely not make it out alive.Xavier, however, stood as calm as a mountain breeze.With his hands tucked casually into his pockets, a devil-may-care grin danced on his lips, looking like someone watching a child throw a tantrum, not someone standing before one of the deadliest assassins in the country.Then, with an exasp

*****“Mistress…”A sharp, collective gasp escaped the lips of the remaining Nightshadow operatives hidden in the distance.Their composure shattered the instant they heard the eerie, disembodied voice… and then, from the distance, they saw the dark silhouette materialize beside Xavier like a phantom conjured from pure shadow.Their breath hitched in their throats, their hearts pounding with sudden dread.For a moment, they completely forgot the stunning reversal Xavier had just orchestrated. Their knees weakened, and cold sweat dripped from their brows as they stared wide-eyed at the mysterious figure.Meanwhile, a few dozen meters away from them, the rest of the crowd stood frozen, entranced by the sudden emergence of the enigmatic being standing silently beside Xavier. Their shocked silence quickly gave way to a wave of hushed whispers and speculation.“Is that… a human being?”“What kind of terrifying technique is that? To literally become a living shadow?”“When did th

*****( Thanks for your patience! Here’s a bonus chapter for the update I missed. )….Mistress Ayra’s heart nearly exploded in her chest upon hearing the sudden, calm, composed, and lazy word that had just sounded.The words didn’t come from her, no.They came from him… Xavier.It wasn’t only her who stiffened, the crowd joined her, and so did Mistress Ayra’s subordinates.“He… he knew Mistress Ayra was there all along?” one of the hidden Nightshadows’ agents whispered, his voice shaking.Another member added breathlessly, “That’s terrifying... If he noticed her, then...”Suddenly, dread rippled through the rest of the hidden agents. It was as though their cloak of shadows no longer mattered. Like they had been standing naked before Xavier the entire time.“Could he... Could he sense all of us, too?” another whispered, their words barely audible.“No way,” came the quick, hushed rebuttal. “We’re stationed too far from him. Even in daylight, this distance is too great—much

*****For a long moment that felt like forever, it was as if time itself had frozen.No one dared to speak. No one even breathed too loudly.The crowd stood paralyzed, their minds still reeling from the nightmarish revelation that had just been revealed by the figure cloaked in shadow. It was as if Mistress Ayra’s words had cast a spell over the air—one that dragged everyone into a silent abyss of fear.Even Morderk, Bloodfang Viper’s ever-loyal, servant-like subordinate, appeared rattled beyond belief.His jaw was clenched tight, his pupils constricted. He had known his leader was part of something deadly… but this?This was the stuff of horror stories.He had never once imagined that the Bloodfang League was such a monstrous machine—an engine fueled by lunacy and vengeance, oiled with blood and fire.Across the courtyard, pulses raced wildly, and everyone’s thoughts fixated on one burning question:'If there were still fighters even more powerful than Bloodfang Viper… just

*****At this moment, the man who was speaking no longer resembled the calm, composed, mysterious force of chaos that had appeared earlier today. No, this man, the one they were looking at, was a lunatic high on his own sense of invincibility.Even Xavier was momentarily speechless.Then—“What, exactly, is so funny?” he repeated, his voice flatter than a blade.But before Bloodfang Viper could reply—“It’s because you’re terrified, and it’s showing.”A new voice rang out, sharp and mocking.Every head subconsciously whipped around.It was Morderk.He stepped forward boldly, the fear that had once dominated his features now completely replaced with sneering arrogance. His chest puffed, and his lips curled into a smug leer as though he had already claimed victory.He didn’t hesitate and didn’t falter. Instead, he strutted confidently toward the battlefield as if he owned it.“You thought you had the upper hand earlier, didn’t you?” he sneered. “So confident, so sure of your