Iron Sovereign: I Hunt the Apex

Chapter 4: The Poisoned Blade

Aiden stood in the center of the dark lobby, his hand tightening around the hilt of the red energy blade. The iron gate behind him rattled as it locked into place, sealing the exit to the street. Ahead of him, the red portal pulsed, casting long, twisted shadows across the tiled floor.

The man in the black and gold uniform took three slow steps forward. He was lean, with short black hair and a scar running down his left cheek. He was Vance, a senior assassin for the Iron Vanguard guild and Marcus's right-hand man.

"Well, look at you," Vance said, his voice echoing off the concrete walls. "Marcus told us a useless porter got crushed by a stone hide beast. He sent me back through the side portal to clean up any left behind gear. I did not expect to find you standing here holding an ancient sentry blade."

Aiden kept his feet planted firmly on the ground. He remembered Vance from the guild hall. Vance was known for doing dirty work for the higher-ups, eliminating rivals and silencing people who knew too much.

"Marcus left me to die," Aiden said, his voice steady and low. "He shoved me into the street to save his own skin."

Vance chuckled, tossing his curved dagger from one hand to the other.

"That is how the world works, kid. Weak people exist to buy time for strong people. You should be happy your worthless life had some value today."

"I am not weak anymore," Aiden said.

Vance stopped moving, his cold eyes scanning Aiden's body. He noticed the lack of injuries on Aiden's skin and the calm look in his eyes. A small frown appeared on the assassin's face, but he quickly replaced it with a cruel grin.

"You killed a stone hide beast and a broken sentry machine with a lucky blade," Vance said, crouching low into a combat stance. "You think that makes you a warrior? You are still just a porter. A nobody."

Vance blurred.

His speed was far greater than the stone hide beasts. He moved like a shadow across the tiled floor, closing the distance between them in the blink of an eye. The curved dagger flashed in the dim red light, aiming straight for Aiden's throat.

Aiden did not panic. The enhanced reflexes and metal core energy he had absorbed allowed his eyes to track the assassin's trail. He lifted his red energy blade, swinging it upward in a fast defensive arc.

The weapons clashed with a sharp metallic ring. Sparks flew between them, illuminating both of their faces. Vance's eyes widened in surprise as the force of Aiden's parry pushed his arm back. He had expected to cut through the porter with ease, but Aiden's physical strength held firm.

"What is this?" Vance muttered, stepping back quickly to reset his posture. "Where did you get this strength?"

Aiden did not answer. He pressed forward, swinging the red energy blade in a diagonal slash. The intense heat of the blade scorched the air, forcing Vance to leap backward to avoid being cut in half.

Vance landed lightly on his toes, his expression turning serious. He held his curved dagger horizontally, coating the metal in a dark, sticky liquid that dripped onto the floor. The poison hissed as it touched the tiles, melting small holes in the stone.

"I do not know what kind of miracle you found inside this rift," Vance hissed, his eyes narrowing. "But one scratch from this blade will stop your heart in ten seconds."

Vance darted forward again, changing directions rapidly to confuse Aiden's vision. He stepped left, then feinted right, trying to bait Aiden into overcommitting to a swing.

Aiden stayed still, watching Vance's feet instead of his hands. He recalled the weapon mastery he had absorbed from the construct. His hands adjusted their grip on the hilt, finding the perfect point of balance.

Vance lunged from the left, thrusting the poisoned tip directly toward Aiden's ribs.

Instead of dodging away, Aiden took a half step forward, narrowing the space between them. He used the flat side of his red blade to slap Vance's wrist aside, deflecting the poisoned tip safely past his waist.

Before Vance could pull his arm back, Aiden raised his left elbow and slammed it hard into the side of Vance's face.

The blow hit with heavy force. Vance's head snapped back, and he stumbled sideways, spitting out blood and a broken tooth. His grip on the poisoned dagger loosened, but he managed to keep hold of the handle.

"You little rat!" Vance screamed, his voice filled with rage.

Vance lost his composure and charged wildly, swinging his dagger in desperate, wide arcs.

Aiden watched the erratic movements calmly. The assassin was driven by anger, leaving his defenses open with every swing. Aiden ducked under a wild horizontal slash, stepped inside Vance's guard, and drove the hilt of his energy blade straight into Vance's stomach.

The air rushed out of Vance's lungs in a loud gasp. He doubled over in pain, dropping to his knees.

Aiden stood over him, raising the glowing red blade above his head. The heat from the weapon radiated down onto Vance's trembling shoulders.

"Please," Vance gasped, looking up with wide, terrified eyes. "Do not kill me. Marcus ordered me to do this. I can give you money. I can get you out of the guild."

Aiden looked down at the man who had come to erase him without a second thought. His heart beat steadily in his chest, cold and clear.

"You said weak people exist to buy time for strong people," Aiden said quietly. "Now you can buy me some time."

Aiden brought the red energy blade down in a clean, decisive stroke.

Vance fell forward onto the tiles, his body going completely still.

A instant later, faint blue letters appeared in Aiden's field of vision:

Target slain: Guild Assassin.

Trait absorbed: Shadow Stride.

Movement speed and stealth increased.

A surge of quick, light energy flowed through Aiden's legs, making him feel as light as air.

Aiden turned toward the red portal at the end of the hall. He stepped into the glowing red light, ready to leave the rift zone behind and face the real world.

As the red light wrapped around his body, the scene before him shifted. He did not emerge in a quiet alley outside the city. Instead, he stepped out onto a raised stone platform inside a grand, crowded arena.

Thousands of cheering spectators filled the surrounding stands, and standing in the center of the arena floor was Marcus, holding a microphone in front of a giant guild display board.