The Eye of Death Is Established

Like other Dark Elf, Kaili Laden was supposed to graduate from priesthood school this April, receiving the evil baptism with top honors and becoming one of those serving the Great Spider Queen. But now, she stands on the hard ground, light leather armor replacing her priest's robes, and the five-headed serpent whip she should have held in her hand replaced by a dagger at her waist. She was once a shining new star, but not anymore. She will appear in the world in an even more dazzling form.

Kaili Laden was originally a Dark Elf priestess who worked very hard, doing everything within her power, just like other Dark Elf, striving to survive, to rise to a higher position, and to gain more attention from the gods. But now, she no longer does that.

Since the Spider Queen's slaying, Dark Elf society underwent a major purge, with many students choosing to follow their new god—the goddess of swords and dance—to maintain their status. However, this proved extremely difficult for Kaili. The Spider Queen's encouraged beliefs clashed with those of the new god; she favored murder and evil intrigue. The new god, however, did not condone such behavior, making it incredibly difficult for the former head student of the academy to adapt. She had worked tirelessly to change herself to achieve this prestigious position. Now, it could be said that intrigue, lies, and the evil blood of murder had become an inseparable part of her. She disliked the new god's doctrines and was unable to change her mind again.

For this reason, she naturally lost the favor of the gods and those powerful divine spells. However, this did not discourage Kaili. She had chosen to become a priestess in order to survive in the harsh, class-based world of Dark Elf and achieve a higher status. Now that she could not take that path, she had to choose another way to achieve her goals. Therefore, when the First Matriarch was recruiting people skilled in assassination, Kaili signed up without hesitation and was ultimately selected.

Frankly speaking, compared to other Dark Elf, Kaili doesn't have any advantages. On the contrary, because she once devoted herself too much to the pursuit of darkness and evil, her assassination skills aren't particularly outstanding. However, the achievement of being the top student in the academy isn't just about loyalty to the gods—only those who eliminate their opponents and ensure their own survival to the end deserve the glory of being number one, and these experiences don't disappear with the passing of divine magic.

Of course, the Dark Elf society has changed. Although Kaili had prepared herself for the possibility of being "disappeared" by others when she was chosen, what bored her was that, since the new gods did not encourage murder and betrayal, she almost never encountered poisoned wine or daggers from other people.

This greatly displeased Kaili, who was used to prolonged periods of tension. She found the current Dark Elf society utterly boring and felt like an outcast. She craved blood, slaughter, and death. It was this very will that allowed this Dark Elf to defeat numerous opponents and become a candidate for leadership.

After that, she and the other candidates left the dark underworld and arrived in the Ringwraith City through a portal.

Here, Kaili and the other Dark Elf were astonished to discover that, besides themselves, there were even some human students studying alongside them, and their instructors were also human!

This enraged the Dark Elf. They had always been proud and confident in their fighting skills. Dark Elf were beings of darkness, kings of assassins; their skills should have been unparalleled, incomparable to anyone else's—elegant, cruel, and capable of silent death and annihilation. This was everything the Dark Elf possessed. And now, it was being done by humans! Kaili felt deeply insulted.

However, this feeling of insult quickly turned into shock.

Frankly speaking, these humans may not be more skilled in combat than the Dark Elf, but they possess a power that the Dark Elf cannot wield—magic.

With the aid of magic, these humans could easily erase their presence, transform their form, and alter their voices. In the past, Kaili would have been confident enough to use divine magic to see through all of this, but now, none of that was possible anymore.

This is the new unit they will be joining, which uses the power of magic to carry out assassination missions.

This is their mission.

Kaili wasn't averse to magic. In fact, after the Spider Queen's fall rendered divine magic ineffective, she no longer held such faith in the power of the gods. Perhaps the gods' power was immense, but it couldn't last. As for magic... although she had learned about the Magic Empire from history books she read in her spare time, at least the power of magic had always existed in this world and would not disappear. Even the disappearance and destruction of the Magic Empire did not change this fact.

Dark Elf are born with considerable resistance to magic and a natural talent for spells. Moreover, their minds are incredibly resolute, honed through years of rigorous training. Therefore, even complex spells can be learned by Dark Elf in a very short time. Furthermore, they are not mages and do not need to understand the principles behind these spells; simply using them is enough for them.

It has to be said, this is right up Kaili's alley.

During this short but rigorous training, she once again displayed the same fighting spirit she had shown when competing with her classmates for first place at the pastoral academy. Finally, after three consecutive training tests, Kaili defeated all her opponents and became one of the first members of this new assassination squad.

Right now, what excites Kaili the most is standing here, about to be examined by their superior—the legendary most powerful assassin, one of the Seven Ring Spirit Envoys, "The Gloomy Curse."

The Seven Ring Spirit Envoys were already renowned during the Magic Empire era, and numerous legends about them exist in the historical records of the Dark Elf, especially about the Gloomy Curse. It is said that this assassin has never failed since her debut, precisely eliminating every enemy while ensuring no one detects her. Even in a one-against-one situation, she can wipe them all out without them noticing. This fighting style surpasses Kaili's imagination. In fact, after becoming an assassin candidate, she went to the library specifically to investigate the Seven Ring Spirit Envoys. Unfortunately, as an assassin, the Gloomy Curse's secrecy was clearly superior to everyone else's. Even the recorders only knew that the Gloomy Curse was one of the Seven Ring Spirit Envoys; her exact identity remained undetermined. Moreover, the records about the Gloomy Curse only document her combat exploits and the number of people she killed; there are no records of her preferred methods, techniques, or poisons.

As an assassin, one must maintain strict secrecy regarding one's own situation, and clearly, the Gloomy Curse is no exception.

The first batch of qualified members, including Kaili, totaled thirteen. They had now arrived at the Garden of Gloom and Silence and were standing inside the eerie and terrifying hall.

To be fair, this in itself was a test for the thirteen trainees, especially the psychological pressure of passing through the encirclement of countless undead creatures and entering the eerie, sinister castle in the center of this floating city. Although the undead creatures hadn't sensed their presence or made any aggressive moves, who knew if it was a trap? If they simply took it as a normal notification, would they be torn to shreds by the undead creatures as they stepped onto the path?

No assassin would take unnecessary and potential risks.

Therefore, everyone here used their unique abilities to enter this dark hall. They stood in the darkness of the stone pillars on both sides of the corridor, silently watching their surroundings and sensing the presence of others.

"Everyone's here..."

Suddenly, at that moment, a clear, childlike voice rang out.

Kaili immediately turned her head and looked in the direction of the sound, then her eyes widened in surprise.

Sometime during the night, a girl stood at the foot of the main steps of the hall. Her frail body was shrouded in a large, black cloak, and her glossy black hair shimmered eerily in the dim firelight. Her long bangs even obscured one of her eyes, leaving only a deep, dark eye visible. The girl was exceptionally cute and beautiful, even exuding an air of innocence, yet she also gave off a sense of fragility. Like a beautiful but delicate flower, slowly blooming without any protection, a single gust of wind could destroy it completely.

However, this sense of absurdity was accompanied by unbelievable astonishment. Before the little girl appeared, Kaili hadn't even noticed there was another person there!

This is absolutely impossible for an assassin; how could she not even detect the presence of such a little girl?

Who exactly is she?

A strong sense of crisis washed over her, causing Kaili to instinctively reach for the hilt of her dagger. It wasn't that she wanted to attack immediately, but doing so would give her a sense of security.

"So, the last one..."

The girl didn't finish her sentence because a violent cough interrupted her. Her petite and frail body trembled with the coughing, as if she were about to collapse to the ground.

However, the girl did not fall; she remained standing, though her swaying body seemed to be struggling under the strain.

"The final... test... begins."

These were the last words Kaili heard, because in the next instant, the cold blade was less than a centimeter away from her eyes.

If it weren't for her innate quick reflexes and the results of her rigorous training, the dagger would probably have already pierced her eye by now. But even so, all she could do was instinctively raise the dagger; she couldn't completely block the attack. She clearly felt that her dagger had only grazed the edge of the opponent's blade, and if things continued like this, there would only be one outcome for her: complete defeat.

It's over.

In a fraction of a second, Kaili made her decision. A sense of despair and resentment welled up from the depths of her heart. She involuntarily held her breath, awaiting the inevitable death.

However, death did not come.

"All passed..."

Then, the little girl's voice came again. She was still standing in the same spot, her body trembling slightly, panting heavily, as if she were very tired.

"Sister Suoxiate... that's right..."

At this point, the girl took several deep breaths before regaining her balance.

"Welcome... to... Eye of Death..."

The little girl straightened up and looked at everyone one by one—although their figures were still lurking in the darkness, they were all trembling like Kaili because of the unprecedentedly clear omen of death.

"I am... one of the Seven Ring Spirit Envoys..."

Anna paused again at this point.

"... Gloomy Curse... Antanaxisi, you can just call me Anna."

It was incredibly shocking.

Although she was somewhat prepared, Kaili still felt incredibly surprised and shocked when she learned that the little girl was the Gloomy Curse, the most skilled assassin among the Seven Ring Spirit Envoys. Even though she, as an assassin, should have learned to maintain composure, at this moment, she couldn't help but feel genuine surprise and fear.

Gloomy Curse, Antanaxisi.

This title, more terrifying than the devil and deeper than darkness, actually belongs to such a little girl. Who would think she's an assassin? Who would consider her a warrior? But just now, she personally experienced the long-lost fear and threat of death. This was a real danger she hadn't felt in a long time.

This is the life I want.

Kaili felt her blood boiling, burning intensely. After leaving the society of the Dark Elf, she had thought that the thrills that came at the cost of life and death were long gone. But now it seemed that what she was pursuing already existed in this world.

With that thought in mind, Kaili slowly stepped out of the shadows and walked slowly to Anna, kneeling on the ground.

Following her lead, the other twelve assassins emerged from their hiding places and knelt down alongside Kaili.

Without doubt, without ridicule, without unease, they had already experienced firsthand what kind of person they were going to follow.

"It seems Anna has already chosen her new subordinates."

Nia smiled and replied, watching this scene through a magical illusion.

"Good manners."

Li Lin carefully observed the assassins, then nodded.

"I expect them to bring me a very good return."

The selection of these assassins began long ago. Although Kalin initially recommended elves, the elves were not as carefree as she was. Upon hearing that they were to become assassins, many elves chose to refuse and protest—they simply forgot that there wasn't much difference between hiding in the forest and shooting arrows and assassination.

In the end, a total of ten Dark Elf and three half-humans were selected as the first batch of members. The Dark Elf in this area was indeed not to be underestimated. Now, these thirteen elites will carry out an unprecedented large-scale assassination operation under Anna's leadership.

The bishops, generals, and ministers all shared a single mission: to assassinate high-ranking figures from other nations within the Five-Nation Alliance in the shortest possible time and with the greatest speed.

Of course, Catherine should be excluded. If she were really killed, it would be like the flood washing away the Dragon King's temple, and the one who would suffer would be their own people.

Li Lin's decision wasn't made on a whim. Even with Catherine present, he couldn't guarantee that Xialuo and Kudel wouldn't join forces to attack him. In this situation, the best approach was to overwhelm them. Killing the high-ranking officials of these countries would create unrest within their borders, delaying the troop deployment and hindering the overall progress of the nation. The experience of the Sea-Encircled Country reminded Li Lin that while his ultimate goal was to eliminate the Five-Nation Alliance, the Five-Nation Alliance still possessed greater power than the smaller nations. Forcing these smaller nations to become their pawns would be a disastrous outcome.

Assassination is not like massacre. Angela enjoys extravagance, seemingly determined to leave every war bloody and corpse-strewn. While this has a strong deterrent effect, the negative impact is far greater. Assassination, on the other hand, doesn't have the same impact as massacre, but it is of incomparably greater importance. If this can slow down the Five-Nation Alliance, preventing them from having time to consider these issues, then all the better.

"I think I should go see Anna."

Now that the thirteen assassins had left, Li Lin had also managed to clear his mind of his distraction. He went to the door, pushed it open, and saw Anna's petite and adorable figure. After turning around and noticing Li Lin, Anna gave him an exceptionally bright smile, and then she stretched out her arms.

"... Daddy... hug me..."

Okay, let's give each other a hug.

As Li Lin spoke, he opened his arms, and Anna, encouraged, immediately squinted her eyes with joy, ran all the way to Li Lin's arms, and hugged him tightly. Perhaps because she hugged him too tightly, Anna's body soon began to tremble again, accompanied by slight panting.

Gently stroking Anna's hair, Li Lin didn't say much. Anna was perfectly healthy, without any illness, and the Seven Ring Spirit Envoys also immune to disease. However, Anna was different; her illness wasn't physical, but rather of the soul.

Li Lin remembered it quite clearly. It was after he created the "Gloomy Curse," and as usual, he went on a trip to hone his assassination skills. This was no easy task for someone who was originally a mage. However, in order to gain enough experience for his weapon, Li Lin had to grit his teeth and persevere. However, he knew very little about assassination techniques, and after one assassination attempt, Li Lin, who hadn't taken good care of himself, fell seriously ill, running a high fever for three consecutive days. Although Arcane Mage's body was superior to that of ordinary people, it was not omnipotent. And it was at that moment that Anna had her own ideas.

"Dad is sick and in a lot of pain. So, if he passes his illness on to Anna, he'll get better, right?"

In retrospect, it was just a child's innocent thought. However, from then on, Anna began to imitate Li Lin's appearance when he was sick, and unknowingly, she gradually became like that. Although she was not physically sick, Anna firmly believed that she was seriously ill. In her view, as long as she remained sick, Li Lin would never get sick again.

Li Lin was also helpless in this situation. Although he later spent a lot of time trying to treat Anna's deep-seated suggestions to herself had become so ingrained that forcibly eliminating them would damage Anna's mental state.

Therefore, Li Lin ultimately abandoned this idea.

But now, holding Anna's fragile body in his arms, Li Lin still felt a pang of heartache. He was Arcane Mage, yet he still couldn't get Anna to relinquish that deeply ingrained subconscious projection. Because Anna knew very well that she wasn't sick. But she believed that all her illnesses were transmitted to her by her father, which was why Li Lin was so healthy. Therefore, she wouldn't reject these ailments.

Perhaps, in the end, it will take a long time to gradually soothe and eliminate these issues.

"Dad..."

Nestled in Li Lin's arms, Anna closed her eyes contentedly, enjoying the warmth and comfort of his broad embrace. Then she opened her eyes and looked at Li Lin.

"When... will the mission begin...?"

"If you'd like, we can start tomorrow."

Li Lin stroked Anna's hair and cheeks, answering softly.

"Remember, your mission is important, but safety comes first. Don't forget, never enter any Temple. Although the God of Justice can't intervene right now, who knows if he left any troublesome aftermath when he left? It's best to be careful."

"... Okay... Anna... I understand..."

Listening to Li Lin's words, Anna nodded gently, then closed her eyes again and buried her head in Li Lin's arms.