"All right, we know that area like the backs of our hands, and the infiltration mission is perfect for you. I'll... I'll figure something out for myself."
Liam had taken the more difficult mission for himself. Wilton was touched and didn't want to reject Liam's kindness, so he could only nod and accept. The two walked out of the cave passage, then vanished in a flash. Slipping into the shadows, one headed north and the other south to complete their respective missions.
"Duke, isn't this mission too difficult for him?"
From the second-floor balcony, Duke Jorach had watched the entire time as his two apprentices left the manor. Behind him stood Farad, who had just assigned them their missions.
"No. The two missions are actually about equally difficult. I deliberately left the conditions for success vague because I want to see how much potential this kid has hidden away."
"Oh? Even you can't tell?" Farad asked, highly curious.
"That's right. Every time I teach him something, the kid finds a new way to use it. I'm really curious to see how far he can take our profession, with its thousands of years of tradition."
"You mean the little tricks he uses with his guns? He's certainly fast. Without using shadow energy, even I couldn't draw a gun that quickly. And I still can't figure out how he manages to reload while fighting."
"Indeed, it's remarkable, isn't it?" Duke Jorach smiled without answering. He knew more about it, but didn't want to discuss the matter with Farad just yet.
After years of studying at Ravenholdt Manor, Liam had more or less mastered every rogue technique. Perhaps he really did have a hidden talent for the craft. Aside from secret techniques he couldn't practice because of his status, he picked up every other move with ease.
That naturally reminded Liam of the techniques from another set of memories—techniques that didn't exist yet. Normally, creating techniques from scratch was something one could only do after reaching the hero rank and gaining a deep understanding of one's chosen path.
The rogue profession used a special energy called "shadow." Though it shared a name with the shadow magic used by Warlocks and Priests, it was an entirely different thing. In Liam's view, "shadow force" was a more fitting name for a rogue's power.
The greatest difference between rogues and other professions was that only true rogues could understand and wield shadow force. Other professions began by connecting with the source of their power. As a result, Liam and Wilton had so far only touched the tip of the iceberg.
This had led to a strange situation in the rogue profession: it was extremely easy to get started, but becoming a true master was incredibly difficult.
Consequently, although rogue techniques had spread far and wide, no new ones had appeared for a very long time.
Liam, however, was very different from everyone else. His mind held another set of memories that would seem like wild fantasy to anyone else. By making use of the "storage space" on his person, he could easily perform many techniques that seemed utterly inconceivable. Even if these "skills" didn't form a complete system and couldn't be taught to anyone else, they gave Liam a tremendous advantage.
He also wanted to test his strength on this trip to the Alterac Ruins.
The Alterac Kingdom had been destroyed in war many years ago, and its modest royal capital had long since become a ruin. Now, it was occupied by its former inhabitants, the rogues of the Syndicate, and had become the infamous organization's largest stronghold.
Since the city was already in ruins, the wind blew through it from every direction. Liam arrived after midnight, so slipping inside was easy.
"Good thing they've been busy repairing the castle. The walls are still falling apart. Otherwise, getting in would've taken some work."
Knowing there had to be a sentry lurking in the shadows somewhere nearby, Liam carefully maintained his Stealth as he climbed over a low wall and crept through the shadows behind the ruined city wall.
With the night and shadows to help him, his Stealth had reached the point where he was almost impossible to see with the naked eye. As long as he was careful, no one would notice him. That was why rogues usually came out at night. In broad daylight, without terrain to hide behind, Liam figured only an expert like old man Jorach could make himself completely invisible.
He cautiously approached a small house with a candle burning inside. Liam guessed it was where the Syndicate guards on night watch rested. He planned to listen for information before deciding what to do next.
"Is there any of that ale we brought back last time?" a voice from inside reached Liam's ears. The speaker was clearly talking to a companion.
"Long gone. Those inconsiderate new recruits wouldn't think to save you any," another voice complained.
"Who knows when we'll get sent out on another assignment? This godforsaken place is the absolute worst."
"Hey, you didn't say that a few years ago, when you were throwing gold around at the tavern and fondling the girls."
"Don't remind me about before. The servants and girls we brought back were all taken over to the castle. We're out running around all day and don't even have a place to have fun," grumbled the man who'd asked for a drink.
"Heh, you don't get it. Last time we went out, I made a special trip to my old farm. I showed them what I could do..."
The rest was a stream of foul language, followed by the two thugs' lewd laughter.
"Bastards," Liam cursed inwardly.
Things like this had happened many times over the past few years. The Kingdom of Lordaeron turned a blind eye to the occupied territories, and Aedelas Blackmoore, the chief officer, deliberately let the criminals get away with their misdeeds. Every case was simply left unresolved.
Liam and Wilton had killed a few scumbags who'd crossed their path, but the Syndicate kept growing instead of showing any restraint. They had even made several incursions near Ravenholdt Manor.
Ravenholdt stayed out of such conflicts, but Jorach showed no mercy to anyone who dared offend the Assassin League. Most of their training missions over the years had involved hunting down the Syndicate.
These men might not be very strong—the best among them were only at the apprentice rank—but there were so many of them, scattered far and wide, and their leader was extremely elusive. Whenever they were struck down, they would vanish for a while, only to rise again once the heat died down.
Liam hated them just as much, but since he hadn't graduated yet, he couldn't go too far. He could only take the chance to kill a few during his training and do his part to protect the people.
But it seemed Liam had held back long enough. This time, he wasn't going to show these scumbags any mercy.
Before you continue