The Epic Tale of Chaos vs Order

Chapter 264 : Saint Void State Technique

There was utter shock on Cainʼs face as the machete was sent away from his grasp, but as the assassin came closer, a cold smile appeared. His heartbeat grew even stronger as he pushed Second Gear to the limit, ensuring Sun Seed flowed his body with golden flames so it would not crumble under pressure.

Cainʼs hands and wrists turned into blood gems as dark energy covered his extremities, and then he adopted the battle stance of Bloodflow Fury.

”CLANK!”

The sound of steel clashing against steel echoed inside the room as Cain pushed the dagger out of his path before unleashing Flowing Fist and Tempest Kick against the man covered in shadows.

Immense surprise appeared in the assassinʼs eyes when Cain hit his dagger with so much strength that it nearly sent it flying away, just like he had done with Slaughter. According to his knowledge of the young man, this one did not excel in strength and definitely did not possess a top-tier melee close-range technique.

Yet, the assassin could not negate what he was seeing as the barrage of punches and kicks pushed him back toward the corner where he came from.

Cainʼs eyes were full of killing intent as he pushed himself to the limit, and all his attacks were aimed at vital points. He felt his muscle tearing due to the effort but could not afford to slow down since a single breath would be enough to diminish his momentum, something the assassin could take advantage of.

Despite Cainʼs speed and technique, the assassin could dodge every single attack, never once having to block, but things changed when he was finally pushed back into the corner.

Such narrow space would limit your attack speed, but Cain only changed to Crimson Knees and Elbows, making them glow as he sent a knee strike toward the assassinʼs groin.

That knee could break steel walls, so the damage it could do to a personʼs crotch would be no joke.

Cain was sure his attack would generate enough damage and pain to incapacitate the assassin long enough he could use Blood Revolution. That was his killing blow, and the strength he could unleash with it now was enough to kill a Peak Wave Champion.

However, just as Cainʼs knee was about to land, the assassin melted into a puddle of shadows. Before Cain could overcome the shock, the assassin appeared right behind him.

ʼ¡A Wake King!ʼ

That feat was something no Wave Champion could do, so the only explanation would be that the assassin was a Wave King!

”Your counter-assassination techniques have improved a lot, young man.”

Just as Cainʼs mind worked at full power, trying to figure out a way out of this problem, he heard the assassinʼs voice, and there was a mixture of surprise and relief in his eyes.

Shadows slowly dissipated, showing the figure of the assassin, and it was no other than Jonathan, the Assassination Military Specializationʼs teacher.

Cain turned around and looked at Jonathan with confusion as he deactivated Second Gear, Blood Hand, and Darkness Fusion. There was no rage in his eyes for the pseudo-assassination attempt. If Jonathan had truly wanted to kill him, there was no way he would not have lasted more than three seconds.

”Teacher.” Cain clasped his hand and nodded toward the man.

Jonathan smiled as he saw the rational light and composure in Cainʼs eyes, not jumping to conclusions.

”Long time no see, young man. You have grown really powerful and have gained a Lineage that enhanced the shadow element and darkness force. Those two will be of great help during your future assassination mission.”

Cain only nodded toward Jonathan but kept looking at this one with an inquisitive gaze. There must be a reason why the man was here.

”I am here due to an assassination contract, but not yours. It is in the name of Shura Bloodriver, the Blood Maiden of the Integrationist Path.”

Although an assassin should never reveal his target, Jonathan showed no hesitation in sharing that information with Cain.

A frown appeared on Cainʼs face when he heard that since no matter his personal feelings for Shura, he was her Blood Champion and had to protect her.

”Is the Aegon Family taking the contract?”

Cain had learned a lot about Beelzeʼs family and knew they were professional assassins. Although he did not want to antagonize them, neither could he just do nothing as they went after Shura.

Jonathan stared at Cain for a moment before shaking his head, relaxing the young man.

”The contract reached the Aegon Family, but after learning about the Blood Duke saving your life and your trip to Blood Sea, I used my influence to reject it.

However, it is an open contract, so anyone can take it, meaning more assassins will be coming for her. Luckily, those will be mostly Wave Champions since no sane Wave King would take the job.”

Cain understood the meaning behind Jonathanʼs words. No matter how great the reward was, it had no value if you were dead, and the Blood Duke would hunt down anyone that dared to kill the Blood Maiden.

Wave Champions could take the contract since they were either old people with very little time left or were secluded from civilization, making it easy to hide. However, there was no Wave King that was not at least a little bit famous in the empire, making tracking them down very easy.

The only ones in the entire Collapsing Lightning Sector that would not have to hide if they took the contract on Shura would be the Aegon family since they did not fear the Blood Sea or Blood Duke. Luckily, he would not have to worry about them since Jonathan already took care of it.

”I wanted to test your skills and initially planned to advise you to stay away from the Blood Maiden, but I can see by your abilities that you at least should be able to survive.”

Facing Wave Champion Beast and assassins were very different things, and Jonathan wanted to see how well Cain would fare against them. The outcome of their clash told him all he needed to know.

Cain clasped his hand and, this time, bowed to Jonathan since this information would make protecting Shura easier. Now he knew what kind of enemy he would have to be on the lookout for.

”I appreciate the information.”

”Oh, a warning is not all I brought with me.”

Jonathan smiled as he waved his hand and took a starry gem from his space ring.

”Here is the complete Void State Technique, including the fourth and fifth levels that raise its tier to a Saint Technique.”

A flash of desire appeared in Cainʼs eyes as he focused on the starry gem. He had reached the limit of the third level a long time ago, and his assassination skills had stagnated.

The fourth and fifth levels of Void State could really help him improve Cainʼs assassination skills, and the fact they were categorized as a Saint Technique meant they were truly superb.

Cain stared at the starry gem for a while before looking at Jonathan.

”Assassinations?”

Nothing was free in the world. No matter how good the relationship between Cain and Jonathan was, the Void State Saint Technique belonged to the Aegon Family, and they would not just hand it over without expecting something in return.

Cain learned the art of assassination to take care of his enemies, not to make a job out of it. After all, he had easier ways to make money, like hypnosis or selling Wave Viruses.

”We have more than enough assassins in the Aegon Family, many of them much better than you. We were hoping you could use your influence on the Blood Duke to facilitate a deal between the Aegon Family and Blood Sea, so we can purchase some unique cultivation resources that grow in this area.

Of course, we are not expecting you to do it right now since your words have little weight in the Blood Dukeʼs decisions, but things would change if you do well in the Century Ascendance of the Blood Moon.”

Jonathan went straight to the point, explaining what the higher-ups of the Aegon Family hoped to get in exchange for the Saint Technique.

”A trade deal?” Cain smiled as he heard what the Aegon Family wanted. Although he had never done one, it was all about relationships and influence, something he would have if everything went well.

He did not hesitate before accepting the proposition. The best way of handling a group of assassins was to have better technique than theirs, so he needed the Void State Saint Technique.

Jonathan smiled and threw the starry gem toward Cain before his body melted into shadows again, only to vanish from the room the next second.

Cain could not help but feel awe at the might Jonathan could unleash through the use of the Laws.

ʼThey are truly an unfathomable power.ʼ