Chapter 525 - Assassin Superior

The outstanding Prince Vadym Sapphire Latias, the 34th prince of the late King Lahar, went into battle with Tanael without any apprehension on his part.

And why should he? Vadym had clashed with people stronger than him frequently. Tanael might be a Level 4 mid but he was still only a Level 4 mid. Vadym wouldn't be able to defeat him but only because the Level 4 had his Domain. Without Domain, Vadym was confident he could defeat a Level 4. And while he couldn't defeat Tanael, with all the means in his disposal, he was confident that Tanael possessed no threat to him.

His spatial escape item was all set too. If things seemed bad, he just needed to get away. He’d already got Myers’ shadow and already accomplished the Deathly One’s mission.

Tanael proved him wrong very soon.

A minute after what Tanael called boss music played out, the assassins felt something was wrong. Yet what could they do? Imaginary Domains could contain a lot of effects, including anti-telepathy. It was, after all, essentially a place where the caster reigned supreme. It still depended on how skilled the user was, but unfortunately for them, Tanael had the skills to create an Imaginary Domain that could block their telepathy.

Without telepathy, how could you contact other invisible people?

They were in hiding! Against Tanael equipped with the lethal searing sword. Make a peep, and you betrayed your position in every way, that was a sure-fire invitation for the predator to pounce.

Speaking was not an option. It was dead silent in the Domain. Even the sound of breathing was absent. Voice communication was out.

Sign language, light code, et cetera? They were all invisible!

Strengthening the telepathy to crack the jamming or brute force it? Try too hard then they would leak magical ripples and be hunted.

Each person struggled with their own decisions. No one wanted to be first to break stealth. Each hoped someone else would take action, but the march of time was relentless.

Time passed, and the sense of wrongness became greater and greater. The sensitive ones felt their lifespan was slipping through their fingers like loose sand.

Finally realizing that Tanael’s Domain had a nasty special effect, one of the Level 4 took action. Perhaps it was panic, but the feeling of your life not-so-slowly slipping away could shake even a blood-hardened assassin.

Tanael’s previous test subjects felt the life-erasing feeling very unsettling—a useful data point to know. Like drowning, it elicited a reaction from your very core, any reaction, good or bad.

In this case, the assassin broke his stealth and released a wide AoE, hoping to defeat Tanael in one big move.

Tanael removed his head in the blink of an eye. He didn't mind taking some damage. His focus was solely on offence.

The remaining assassins used this opportunity to change the tide. They attacked the revealed Tanael with all their might, including Vadym and the rest Level 3s. One of the Level 4 opened his Domain, trying to overpower Tanael’s, failing that, erected a Domain on his own so he and his allies could be safe from the mysterious life-erasure.

It would have worked if Tanael were the same as when he attacked the Magisterium Tower.

By now, Tanael’s Domain mastery had improved by leaps and bounds. So much so that it rivaled the average Level 4 peak’s Domain in toughness.

The assassin’s Domain was unable to form, like trying to light a candle under the sea. The attacks failed to kill Tanael too, and he disappeared into invisibility again.

Vanish in Abyss Arte. These assassins enjoyed the advantage of hunting their target without being detected. Now the tables had turned and it was being used against them.

Their numbers were now five, with three being Level 3s. Things were looking mighty bleak. Meanwhile, the boss music playing in the background reflected their state of mind perfectly.

Prince Vadym was starting to feel the Grim Reaper’s footsteps on the back of his head. Not silent and mysterious, but approaching like a boisterous performer. Something then clicked.

Tanael was killing them like a parade. This was just a show for him!

As if on cue, the music changed. This one was even more ominous than before.

Vadym was a Death and Star Pathseeker. He thought he was familiar with death. However, it was always him as the deliverer of Death. He’d never been on the receiving side. The prince had life and death battles before, but never before had Death felt this close... this real.

The prince was not the only one thinking that. The last remaining Level 4 of the Bone Ravens decided to stake it all. He used all he had, even consuming his part of the Banbexi’s flesh to gain a momentary boost of power. It was foolish, but at this moment, short term gains were far more important than the long term, since it wouldn't even exist if they didn't get through this.

Tanael appeared from a reddish smoke and performed a bow, like a performer. The two engaged in a great battle that a Level 3 like Vadym was unqualified to participate in. In fact, their battle was so destructive that the other Level 3s beside Vadym perished because of their Artes aftershock. They wanted to run but there was nowhere to run in the damned Domain! Vadym only survived because of the protective items he possessed.

The Dark Prince had tried activating the spatial escape item, but it remained inert. Again, it was the damned Imaginary Domain!

Tanael’s fighting style was flashy yet elusive. He appeared and disappeared as if he was teleporting but he actually just turned invisible before appearing again, creating the illusion. His power of fire also increased significantly in the Domain, to the degree that it threatened Vadym’s senior. He knew how strong the guy was. With him using all his might, even using Forbidden Artes, Vadym couldn't believe his eyes that Tanael held his own.

But Tanael was not insurmountable after all. Vadym’s senior pierced through Tanael’s heart!

Puff!

Tanael exploded in red smoke! It was a fake!

Vadym died the next second. His head exploded.

Because Tanael attacked Vadym from behind, with nine Shade Soul Artes in succession straight to the back of his head. He knew the likes of Vadym would have copious amounts of life-saving items, so he ambushed him and delivered unmatched aggression on top of his head to decisively kill him. Vadym already died at six but he still released nine.

Tanael’s battle with the death-seeking Level 4 assassin was a ruse; Vadym was his target from the start.

What was ironic was that Vadym walked into the fight with Tanael, someone a fair bit stronger than him but to a reasonable degree, without fear.

Because he was powerful, because he was excellent.

Tanael and his main body also did this frequently. This was because both Vadym and Tanael often defeated people stronger than them on the cultivation ladder.

Vadym was younger, 19 years old. Viers was 21 so his clone was also 21. In the Fables, the MC always surpasses older figures, using their talent and greatness. Seniors were roadblocks that they would conquer sooner or later.

Whether Vadym or Tanael realized or not, the two subconsciously thought this towards older people.

The prince’s string of recent successes, including his murder of his most hated rival and half-brother, Prince Cassian, inflated his ego a tad too much. Vadym was feeling he was on top of the world before this fight began.

However, Vadym’s mistake was that he faced not just someone older and stronger but a true monster like Tanael.

It was his last mistake.

Furthermore, Vadym wasn't as great as he thought he was. Even at his age, Viers was stronger.

His experience was inferior. His skills were lacking. His preparations were wanting, His insight was deficient. His Fate was inadequate.

The Latias prince with Death and Star affinities didn't even have the chance to show off one percent of his capabilities before Tanael snubbed him out of existence.

Simply put, Vadym didn't have what it takes.

And unlike in the Fables, when the MC got defeated by a villain so far out of his league early in the story, Tanael didn't let the MC slip away with his life intact to even the score one day.

No, Tanael was too pure of a villain for that.

Therefore, Vadym died, and his life’s story ended then and there. His remains would become fuel of another’s ascendancy to greatness.

Tanael received the prince’s relatively intact body and the important inventory items. Tanael was sure a buttload of treasures were inside. He did it like a professional pickpocket, swift in hand and deed. He was punished by eating one attack but Vadym’s remains were too important to pass by.

Vadym was a second Latias prince that he cast down. The first one he sold to Izabella.

The enraged Level 4 was the only one still alive in the Domain. With Croix’s brother secure, Tanael finally could focus his entire being toward his enemy. He made a decisive move to end the battle once and for all.

Arte - Vanish in Abyss!

Tanael remained hidden and let the guy burn out.

Perhaps if he immediately opened his Domain after all his boosting, Tanael’s Domain couldn't prevent the activation. But the guy’s power boost was essentially a berserk status, resulting in the loss of rationale. Right now, the enemy was indeed very strong, perhaps even stronger than him, but why should Tanael fight him head-on?

He baited him long enough to hunt Vadym. Once it was done, he had no obligation to keep dancing with the berserk Level 4. People tended to underappreciate how utterly broken his Domain’s effect was against unsuspecting enemies. Therefore, to maintain secrecy, Tanael would never leave witnesses.

The berserk assassin tried to find Tanael, lashing out AoEs, but even if he got hit, Tanael remained hidden and didn't engage. He tried to break the Domain but Tanael was prepared for that too and reinforced his Domain as necessary.

Until the assassin finally dropped dead from the lack of lifeforce.

Tanael appeared again in a puff of red smoke and bowed towards the corpse. He learned the etiquette from Grimm, whose theme he emulated in this fight. He even did the pufferfish fireballs move at one point.

With no more enemies, he snapped his fingers and undid his Imaginary Domain after collecting the loot.

He was back in the race area, still near the starting line. Meanwhile, the Level 5s and Devil Gods Avatars were very close to the rainbow-sun, fighting a mighty battle.

As Tanael drank recovery potions and bandaged his wounds, he removed the cloth that covered the lantern containing the freed prisoners. He covered the item because he didn't want them to see his fight with the assassins or his Domain.

He could see the race was now in the final spurt. It was entering the climax.

Freya’s master, Gregory, was surprisingly the closest to the Aurora Scroll. Despite fighting super monsters like the Demon King, the guy showed his worth.

Freya and her team of Silver Legion entered too, because of course she would. How could the good protagonist let her teacher struggle alone without doing anything? But they only reached the middle part of the race, still far from Gregory and the rest of the cult big shots.

Even farther behind the young Silver Legionaries was Tanael, who was nursing his wounds and recovering. His injuries weren't severe and he had swift regeneration passive but still, no reason not to tend to them.

He didn't make an effort towards the Aurora Scroll in any way.

“Hey hummie. If you’re not going to race for the prize, what the hell are you hanging around for?” The orc in his lantern said.

“Relax, big guy. That girl’s here,” Tanael pointed to Freya. “No way this will end simply.”

Tanael’s experience with many Fables told him as much. He was sure of it.

Demon King? Blood Goddess’ possessing spirit? Death God’s construct? Tanael never thought any of them would get the Aurora Scroll. Goodies of that tier only belonged to the hero, which was not himself, since he was a villain.

There was only one person fitting the bill in this place: Freya.

Activating Vanish in Abyss Arte once more, Tanael disappeared from sight.