Eldritch Assassin: Reincarnated With An SSS-Rank Devouring System
Chapter 48: Found It

Chapter 48: Found It

Dusk settled over Runewood Forest, the trees casting long shadows as Kael, Joran, and Kiva split up, their wolves padding silently through the grass.

For two hours, Kael searched the surroundings, his sharp senses picking up every rustle of leaves, every distant snap of a twig. The forest was vast, its paths winding, and doubt crept into his mind, the bandit’s vague directions mocking him.

A Primal Celestial Lord’s tomb which contained power beyond imagination—slipped further away with each empty trail. His silver eyes scanned the darkening woods, frustration slowly settling in.

~Pheeewww!~

A sharp whistle pierced the silence of the forest, it was faint but clear. Kael’s head snapped toward the direction, his wolf’s ears twitching. He urged the beast forward, weaving through the rough roots and low branches, the whistle guiding him.

Minutes later, he broke into a small clearing, where Joran and Kiva waited, their wolves panting softly. Joran, the burly captain, clutched his runestone axe, his face grim. Kiva, the vice-captain, gripped her spear, her wolf’s glowing eyes fixed on a narrow path ahead.

"Have you found it?" Kael asked, dismounting, his Bloodthread Mantle settling around him.

Joran pointed down a rocky trail descending into a canyon, his voice low. "We found a trail—horse hooves, dozens of them, leading that way."

Kael’s gaze followed the path, his sharp eyes catching faint hoofprints in the dirt. He nodded, mounting his wolf again. "Lead on," he said, his tone sharp, anticipation stirring his bloodline.

The trio moved forward, their wolves’ claws scraping stone as the canyon walls rose around them, the air growing cooler and heavier.

The path opened into a wide clearing, ringed by uneven mountains, their peaks clawing at the twilight sky. At the clearing’s heart stood a massive cave, its entrance was carved into a sheer cliff, its mouth dark and gaping.

Forty soldiers guarded it, their mismatched armor glinting faintly, and their stances tense. Most were Pre-Awakening, Lvl 15 to 18, their crude weapons loose in their grips. A handful of Primal Warriors at Lvl 19 to 25 stood firmer, their auras pulsing weakly. There were no Primal Adepts, but the sheer number was a threat.

Kiva’s voice was a whisper, her spear steady. "Think we’ve found it, young master."

Kael’s silver eyes gleamed, his mind racing. The cave’s entrance pulsed with a faint, unnatural energy, the bandit’s tale of glowing runes and a bone-metal door vivid in his thoughts.

Charging in would be suicide—the forty soldiers were less of a problem and instead, whoever was inside the tomb might be far stronger than their group. Stealth was his forte. Alone, his Bloodthread Mantle and Eclipse Step could slip him past the guards unnoticed. But he needed backup, and he couldn’t risk them exposing themselves.

He turned to Joran and Kiva, his voice low and serious. "Head to Wolfsgate. Find Ser Gavric and tell him to bring reinforcements. No one else hears of this—especially not Torren. Understand?"

Joran’s brow furrowed, his axe shifting. "Leaving you alone, my lord? It’s risky."

Kiva’s eyes narrowed, her wolf growling softly. "I can stay to keep watch with you."

Kael’s gaze hardened, and he hurriedly formed a lie. "I’ll just watch from here, and track their movements. We need Ser Gavric’s men to secure this. Go, now." His tone left no room for argument, his silver eyes unyielding.

Joran hesitated, then nodded, his wolf turning. "Stay safe, my lord." Kiva lingered a moment, her spear tight, but followed, her wolf bounding after Joran’s. Their forms vanished into the canyon, the faint thud of paws fading.

Kael waited for some time, his wolf’s breath warm against his hand. The soldiers milled about, their voices low as their eyes scanned the clearing. An idea soon sparked in his head and his smirk returned.

He patted his wolf’s flank, whispering, "Time to cause a stir, big guy." He loosened the reins, urging the beast toward the clearing’s edge, then slapped its haunch. The wolf snarled, bursting from the trees, its massive form charging at the soldiers.

"LOOK! OVER THERE!..."

"IT’S A BEAST!"

Shouts erupted, the soldiers scrambling with their weapons raised. "Wolf! Kill it!" a Primal Warrior barked, his axe gleaming.

The Pre-Awakening guards panicked, their spears jabbing wildly as the wolf darted through them, snapping at heels while dodging strikes. The Primal Warriors roared, chasing the beast, their formation breaking as Kael’s wolf led them in circles, its growls echoing off the mountains.

Kael seized the chance in the chaos. His Bloodthread Mantle flared, its aura-dampening fabric cloaking his presence. He slipped from the shadows, his —Eclipse Step— blurring his form, weaving through the panicked soldiers.

A Pre-Awakening guard stumbled past, his spear swinging blindly, missing Kael by inches. Another shouted, pointing at the wolf, oblivious to the ghost weaving through their midst.

Kael’s heart pounded, his —Night Predator— trait guiding his steps, his movements silent as he reached the cave’s entrance.

The darkness swallowed him. The air inside the cave was thick and heavy with primal energy, a hundred times better than the outside. "Cultivating in here would definitely produce more results in less time," Kael muttered, astonished.

The soldiers’ shouts faded from the background, replaced by the cave’s eerie quiet which was broken only by the distant drip of water. Faint runes glowed along the walls, their light pulsing like a heartbeat, casting eerie shadows.

Kael’s bloodline stirred, sensing power deeper within, his —Devour Essence— itching for a taste. The bandit’s words replayed in his head—a door of metal and bone, and a lotus wreathed in flames.

Kael pressed forward with his Abyssal Fang Dagger drawn, its edge glinting in the rune light. The cave sloped downward, the air growing colder, and the runes brighter.

His senses caught faint scratches in the stone—it looked recent, likely from Arveth’s exploration team. The tomb’s guardians, if the bandit’s tale of moving bones was true, were a threat he couldn’t underestimate.

His level—now at 11—was strong for his age, but a Primal Celestial Lord’s tomb could harbor dangers far beyond Primal Adepts.

Joran and Kiva would bring Ser Gavric, but by then, he’d hopefully be inside the treasure hall, claiming the tomb’s secrets for himself—’cough’..sorry, for House Veyne.