Roand sensed an extremely faint trace of shadow energy, then listened closely and heard Jiang Jie breathing. This meant Jiang Jie's Stealth was not yet strong enough, and his control over his body, especially his breathing, was still lacking. He was not a qualified rogue.
But none of that mattered.
What mattered was that Jiang Jie had actually entered Stealth!
A little over two hours. It had taken him only a little over two hours!
What did that mean?
It meant Jiang Jie was a true genius who far surpassed Master Onias!
It meant that, barring any accidents, Jiang Jie would surely become a master rogue whom everyone revered and feared!
It meant Jiang Jie might very well become the first legendary rogue in Lordaeron's history, standing alongside Garona and Farad!
"Holy Light above!" Roand drew a sharp breath.
The next moment, a smile he could not hide spread across his face. "Wonderful, wonderful! Nicholas, I hereby declare you qualified to undertake the formal rogue trial! Complete just one assigned mission, and you'll be a novice rogue!"
Roand was all smiles, delirious with excitement!
He could almost see Mathias Shaw's sour expression, the moment Jiang Jie became a legendary assassin, and the glorious future of the Lordaeron Royal Assassins!
The Stormwind City Assassins? SI:7?
The finest rogue organization in Azeroth?
No, no, no.
The Lordaeron Royal Assassins would be Azeroth's number one rogue organization in the future!
Ivan's face instantly turned darker than pig liver.
How was this possible!
Nicholas... had actually done it!
He had been dissatisfied, resentful, and unwilling to concede. He had still wanted to compete with Jiang Jie.
But now he understood that he would never measure up to Jiang Jie. They were on completely different levels!
All along, Ivan's dream had been to become a high-ranking assassin like Lord Miles. As for Master Onias, she had always been a role model he looked up to, a master assassin, a master rogue he longed to become but knew he might never be!
Yet now he realized that Jiang Jie was already destined to become a master rogue, and even had a chance of becoming a legendary rogue.
People...
Really could not be compared!
Humans were strange creatures.
For instance, you might envy and resent the people around you who were more successful or wealthier than you, but you would not envy Bill Gates or Ma Yun, nor those truly powerful and wealthy people, because you knew very well that you could never become someone like them. If you could get to know someone like that, you would even feel honored!
To Ivan, a Jiang Jie who was not far ahead of him, who remained within reach, was a rival, an enemy;
But a Jiang Jie who was far ahead of him, far stronger than he was, was a role model, someone to worship!
So at that moment, all the envy, jealousy, and resentment in Ivan's heart vanished, replaced by admiration and respect.
He was only a fifteen-year-old boy, after all. What genuine hatred could he harbor? It had merely been a clash of pride.
Now, in his eyes, Jiang Jie was an idol, one he could only look up to!
"Ahem, ahem."
Jiang Jie deliberately coughed twice, interrupting Roand's and Ivan's fantasies, then asked expectantly, "Um, those rewards... when can I get them?"
Crash!
The perfect, towering image of his idol instantly crumbled in Ivan's heart. Roand also shot Jiang Jie a fierce glare, then shook his head. "Those three weapons are all in a secret chamber. Only Master Onias can open it."
Jiang Jie's heart plunged from the heavens into the sea.
Master Onias?
Who knew when she would return,
Or whether she could even return! According to the original history, Onias would follow Prince Arthas on his expedition to Northrend, then become undead on the journey back!
My Assassin's Blade, my Widowmaker, my Gut Ripper! My gold! Jiang Jie howled like a wolf inside.
Yet the next moment, a sudden shudder ran through him, because he saw an unexpected figure.
She appeared before him just like that, without a sound. No one had noticed her presence, as though she had been there all along.
How masterful was that Stealth Technique?
Her perfect figure was hidden beneath a long, narrow black robe, her pretty face concealed by a black hood. The pair of daggers in her hands gleamed coldly.
She was Onias, leader of the Lordaeron Royal Assassins and a follower of His Highness Prince Arthas.
"Come with me." Completely ignoring Roand's greeting and Ivan's flustered bow, Onias spoke to Jiang Jie, then headed toward a room in the compound.
Cool and aloof! I like it!
Secretly delighted, Jiang Jie hurried after her.
Soon, they arrived at a secret chamber.
It was the basement beneath Onias's room, reached through a hidden door.
"Follow me. Don't take a single wrong step, or even I won't be able to save you." Onias's cool voice drifted over, making Jiang Jie tense.
At the same time, the voice of the AI Xiao Feng sounded. "The gaming pod's scans have detected twenty-seven types of mechanical traps here, eighteen of which can kill the host instantly. The host is advised not to force entry... Shadow energy and arcane energy detected... Detailed trap schematics follow..."
The next moment, an intricate, three-dimensional structural diagram appeared in Jiang Jie's mind.
Jiang Jie saw over a hundred iron arrows, seven mechanisms, six types of spinning blades, three strong-acid traps, two large-area capture nets...
There were even signs of spell traps!
You could kill someone with these dirty tricks and never pay for it! Jiang Jie broke into a cold sweat.
He hurried after Onias, not daring to take a single wrong step.
It took them a full two minutes to get through, mainly because Jiang Jie was moving too slowly, trembling with apprehension.
"We're here." Onias stopped before a small door, then knocked on it several dozen times in a regular pattern. The door opened.
It was a small treasure vault containing all kinds of precious items, all of at least uncommon quality. Quite a few were rare, and there were even several epic-quality items.
For instance, a gray-black armor set hung on the wall directly opposite them. That was...
"Nightslayer, one of the finest armor sets of human craftsmanship. An epic set passed down through the Lordaeron Royal Assassins for a hundred years, and the best equipment in this chamber, bar none. This set is as renowned as SI:7's Bloodfang Armor in Stormwind City."
Onias glanced at Jiang Jie, her gaze a warning. "The Syndicate in the Alterac Mountains, the Assassins' League at Ravenholdt Manor, SI:7 in Stormwind City... Countless rogues have wanted this equipment. They... all died."
All... died...
Well, Jiang Jie had actually already noticed the thick smell of blood here. Dark red bloodstains covered the floor and walls. Who knew how many people had lost their lives in this place!
Lest he forget, there were not just rogues' mechanical traps here, but spell traps left by mages as well!
Without master-level skills, entering this secret chamber unscathed was out of the question!