Eldritch Assassin: Reincarnated With An SSS-Rank Devouring System
Chapter 72: Nightshade Valley’s Assassins

Chapter 72: Nightshade Valley’s Assassins

He stabbed again, aiming for the neck joint—deep this time. The alpha roared, thrashing. Kael twisted the blade, hanging on.

The beast collapsed, twitching.

Kael rolled free, panting. His shoulder was a mess, barely attached.

[Status: HP 32%. Critical Bleeding Debuff]

[Enemies Remaining: 10]

He couldn’t stand; his hands felt like jelly. A beast lunged; Kael kicked, knocking it back. Another grabbed his leg, dragging him. His head slammed the ground—stars burst in his vision. He stabbed wildly, dagger sinking into flesh. The beast yelped before collapsing, releasing him.

Kael crawled, blood soaking the stone. The pack circled, slower now, wary. His Devour Essence stirred, sensing their primal energy. He let it slip—just a fraction. Power flooded his veins, stolen from a nearby dead beast.

[Ability Activated: Devour Essence – Absorbed 15% Enemy Energy. HP Restored: 50%.*

[Enemies Remaining: 9]

"Better," Kael grunted, forcing himself up. His dagger gleamed, blood dripping. He limped forward, baiting another charge.

A beast took it. Kael sidestepped, slashing its neck. Another leapt; he ducked, letting it overshoot, then stabbed its spine.

[Enemies Remaining: 7]

The mist thickened, the canyon walls seeming to close in. A new sound echoed—deeper, rhythmic. Thud. Thud. Something bigger.

[Warning: Secondary Threat Detected. Unknown Entity – Lvl 25+. Approaching]

Kael’s heart sank. "You’ve got to be kidding."

The pack hesitated, their red eyes flicking toward the sound. Kael seized the moment, Eclipse Step blurring him into the fray. He struck twice—two beasts down, necks pierced. Another clawed his side; he spun, slamming his dagger into its skull.

[Enemies Remaining: 4]

The thudding grew louder. The mist churned, parting slightly. A massive shape loomed—hulking, armored, with glowing runes along its hide. This was not a beast, but a construct made of bone and metal, its eyes burning crimson.

[Primal Sentinel] – Lvl 31]

Kael’s smirk faded. "Now that’s a problem."

The remaining beasts growled, splitting their focus between Kael and the sentinel. He backed up, shoulder screaming, blood pooling under his boots. His Night Predator blared—danger from all sides.

He had to finish the pack before the sentinel reached him.

Kael darted forward, shadows cloaking him. He struck fast—stab, slash, roll. One beast fell, then another. A third clawed his back; he roared, spinning to bury his dagger in its eye.

The last beast lunged. Kael met it head-on, tackling it to the ground. His dagger plunged into its neck, twisting. It spasmed, then stilled.

[System Ping: Phase 3 Complete]

Kael collapsed, chest heaving. The mist began to thin, revealing the canyon’s scarred walls. His body felt like ice, pain gone, numbness taking over. That scared him more than the claws.

[Status: HP 28%. Critical Condition. Adaptive Regeneration Activated]

[Final Phase Initiating in 90 seconds.]

The sentinel’s thudding stopped. Kael’s eyes flicked up. It stood fifty yards away, runes pulsing. Its head turned, locking onto him. A low hum vibrated the air, primal energy spiking.

[Quest Updated: Trial – Third Floor Final Phase – Defeat the Primal Sentinel. Reward: Trial Completion, Unknown item]

Kael’s lips curled into a shaky grin. "One more, huh?"

He closed his eyes, just for a second. Not to rest, to focus.

Inhale. Exhale.

[HP Restored: 87%. Bleeding Debuff Reduced]

His body twitched, warmth trickling back. Not enough. But it’d have to do.

ROOAAAAARRRRRR!~

The sentinel roared, shaking the canyon. Rocks fell, dust rising. Kael forced himself up with Abyssal Fang tight in his grip. His Devour Essence hummed, sensing the sentinel’s energy, thick and overwhelming.

He wasn’t done. Not until the trials ended. Not until he cleared all eighteen floors of the pagoda.

But as he stepped forward, a new sound cut through the mist—footsteps. They sounded like humans and fast.

[Multiple Threats Detected. Hostile Intent 99%]

Kael’s heart sank. "What!..."

Shadows moved in the mist—cloaked figures with viper crest on their robes, blades gleaming. They were not beasts, not constructs, but real humans.

[System Warning: Hostile Group – Lvl 21-25. Count: 5]

Kael’s face turned cold, and he thought to himself, "Who are they, and how did they get in here?"

[Final Phase Initiating: 60... 59... 58...]

The countdown pulsed in Kael’s skull like a war drum. Mist swirled in the canyon, thick and alive, curling around the five cloaked figures. Their viper-crest cloaks gleamed faintly, blades curved and glinting with killing intent.

He stepped back, boots scraping loose gravel. His Abyssal Fang Dagger hummed in his grip, blood crusted on its edge. His HP hovered at 88% thanks to Devour Essence and Adaptive Regeneration, but his stamina was short. His legs shook, held up by sheer will.

The tallest assassin paused, green eyes glowing under his hood. "Kael of House Veyne," he said, voice smooth as poison. "You’re supposed to be dead."

Kael squinted. "Yeah? You probably missed the invite to my funeral."

The second assassin stepped to the side, a woman with sleek twin daggers. She didn’t laugh, none of them did.

———

[Quest Updated: Trial – Third-Floor Final Phase – Defeat the Primal Sentinel. Bonus Objective: Eliminate Nightshade Assassins.

Rewards:

> +10000 XP.

> Unknown item.

———

[48... 47...]

Kael’s grip tightened around Abyssal Fang. "Who sent you?"

"Nightshade Valley sends its regards," the lead assassin said, unrushed, with undisguised pride.

Kael’s breath caught in his throat. He’d heard that name before. Rumors mostly of a shadow sect that killed anyone and anything for the right price. Either for coin, silence, or just to send a message. No sect, not even the top three kingdoms within the Aurelian Empire, dared to say their name out loud. Even the powerful feared naming them. How the hell were they inside the trial?

"But... how?" Kael muttered, his mind racing.

The third assassin—a wiry man with a chained sickle snorted, his tone mocking. "Doesn’t matter, kid. "You’re going to die either way."

[41... 40...]

A rumble shook the canyon. The Primal Sentinel stirred, its bone-metal frame looming fifty yards away. Its runes flared crimson, head swiveling toward the intruders. The air crackled, primal energy spiking. Even the assassins paused for a moment.

Kael’s eyes flicked to it, then back. "Heh. You came here for me. But guess what?"

He pointed.

"That thing doesn’t care who you are."

The sentinel’s growl vibrated the ground, rocks trembling. The assassins tensed, just for a heartbeat.

The leader’s eyes narrowed. "Let it come. You’re still our mission."

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