Surviving World's End

Shadow mountain - Village of Assassins (2)

The next day after Mark's meeting with the village chief, a new round of chaos erupted throughout the village.

Out of nowhere, countless people began appearing at the old couple's house, each claiming to be a long-lost relative. Some called themselves distant cousins, others claimed to be nephews, nieces, or forgotten family members from neighboring villages.

Mark was certain of one thing.

In the thirteen years he had lived with the old couple, he had never seen a single one of these people before. Not once had the old man or old woman ever mentioned them either.

The first two days were exhausting for Mark. From morning till evening, he had to deal with shameless visitors trying every possible trick to establish a connection with the deceased couple.

One old man even brought a broken wooden stool, claiming the old man had gifted it to him decades ago as proof of their brotherhood.

Mark nearly threw the stool at his head.

Unable to handle the situation alone, Mark went to the village chief to verify the identities of these so-called relatives. Unfortunately, he was informed that the village chief had gone to the city for an important meeting.

Mark immediately knew they were lying.The village chief rarely even stepped outside his own courtyard, much less travel all the way to the city. Still, Mark could do nothing about it. He couldn't exactly force his way into the village chief's house.

After two days of endless drama, however, Mark finally got a chance to breathe.

The fake relatives had started fighting among themselves.

Nobody knew who started the rumor, but news spread through the village and neighboring settlements like wildfire. The old couple supposedly possessed a massive hidden fortune, and whoever proved themselves to be their true relatives would inherit everything.

The moment money entered the picture.Soon, even more strangers flooded into the village.Arguments broke out daily.People shouted in the streets.Some even started brawling in broad daylight over inheritance rights to a fortune that nobody had actually seen.

At first, Mark was speechless.Then he started finding the entire thing entertaining.

The lengths people would go to for money were truly astonishing. Most of these villagers were too lazy to help a neighbor chop firewood, yet the moment wealth became involved, their brains suddenly started working overtime.

One man even produced a so-called DNA document claiming he was related to the old man.Mark didn't know whether to laugh or applaud the effort.

The most ridiculous claims, however, came from several aunties from neighboring villages. They arrived with their sons and daughters, loudly declaring that the old man had fathered illegitimate children in his younger days.

Normally, Mark would have dismissed such nonsense immediately.Unfortunately… he knew too much.

After discovering the old man's secret stash of stolen underwear, Mark could no longer confidently deny the possibility.

For the first time in his life, he genuinely wondered whether the old pervert might actually have left descendants behind.

And so, the madness continued for more than a week. When suddenly—

Mark disappeared.

The news spread throughout the village instantly.Some believed he had run away after realizing he would never inherit the old couple's fortune. Others whispered that he had fled because of the massive debts left behind by his grandfather.

More sinister rumors also began circulating.

Some claimed Mark had been murdered for the inheritance.

Fearing police involvement, the fake relatives quickly scattered and returned to their normal lives as though nothing had happened.

Meanwhile, inside the village chief's house—

The village chief sat alone in a dimly lit room, speaking respectfully into a phone.

"Yes, sir. It was handled cleanly," he said quietly. "The villagers believe the boy ran away after realizing he would never inherit the old couple's fortune. I also spread rumors that someone may have killed him for the money."

A cold voice sounded from the other side of the call.

"You did well. But why has this matter attracted so much attention? I specifically instructed you to handle this discreetly."

The village chief immediately lowered his head despite the caller being unable to see him.

"I don't know which idiot spread the rumor about the old couple's hidden fortune," he replied nervously. "The news even reached neighboring villages. However, please rest assured, sir. Everything is under control."

There was a brief silence before the voice spoke again.

"Keep monitoring the situation. And remember… if anyone uncovers anything related to Kenshin, you know what to do."

The village chief's expression turned cold.

"Don't worry, sir. Anyone who digs too deeply into Master Kenshin's affairs won't live long enough to regret it."

"Good."

The voice paused briefly before continuing.

"If necessary, you have permission to use the Shadow Slaves."

The moment he heard those words, excitement flashed across the village chief's face.

"Thank you, sir! I won't disappoint you!"

The call ended soon after.

Several days later—

Mark slowly opened his eyes.

The first thing he felt was cold mountain air brushing against his skin.His head throbbed painfully.As his blurry vision cleared, he realized he was standing in the middle of an unfamiliar place surrounded by towering mountains covered in thick mist. Strange wooden buildings stood along narrow pathways carved into the mountainside.

The atmosphere felt unnaturally quiet.

In front of him stood an old man dressed in dark robes. His sharp eyes calmly examined Mark as though inspecting a newly acquired tool.

Then the old man smiled faintly.

"Hello, child," he said gently. "I hope you had a pleasant journey."

Mark immediately felt a chill run down his spine.

The old man slowly spread his arms.

"Welcome to Shadow Mountain…"

His smile widened slightly.

"The Village of Assassins."

At that moment, Mark realized something unsettling that His life was about to go completely out of control