The night in the Old District was unnervingly quiet.
A few torches hung along the narrow stone street, their flames flickering in the wind and stretching the shadows into long, distorted shapes. An oppressive weight hung in the air.
The man in black stood in the center of the street, as still as a monolith of dark stone. Reg's silver sword was already unsheathed, its blade tilted slightly, ready to strike at any moment.
"The Shadow Council," Reg said coldly. "I thought you'd all crawled back into your sewers."
The man in black seemed to chuckle. His voice was low and raspy. "When the greatest power in the world resurfaces, of course we would come." As he spoke, his gaze locked onto Lin Ye. It was the look of a hunter who had spotted his prey.
Lin Ye felt a wave of nausea. Su Li took a step forward, shielding him. Her shortsword was already gripped firmly in her hand.
"If you want something, you'll have to go through us first."
The man in black slowly raised his hand. In the next heartbeat, the shadows on the walls seemed to tear open. Two more dark figures dropped from the rooftops.
Three of them. They moved with the silent grace of ghosts. Lin Ye realized instantly—these were professional killers.
Reg whispered, "Su Li. The two on the left."
Su Li nodded. "Understood."
Almost simultaneously, the battle erupted. Reg's sword was as fast as lightning, carving arcs of silver through the air.
Clang!
The first assassin raised his blade to parry, but his strength was clearly inferior to Reg's; he was forced back several steps. Su Li had already lunged toward the other two. Her movements were incredibly light, her footsteps nearly soundless, and her shortsword flashed in the torchlight.
Ting! Ting!
The sound of metal clashing rang out continuously.
Lin Ye stood in the middle of the street. His shadow had already begun to extend, darkness pooling beneath his feet. The voice in his mind echoed once more.
"Kill them."
Lin Ye grit his teeth. "Shut up."
Yet the shadow moved anyway, like a predator waiting to strike. Just then, one of the assassins bypassed Reg and lunged straight for Lin Ye. He was incredibly fast, his dagger aimed directly at Lin Ye's throat.
Lin Ye instinctively summoned the shadow. A black shadow-blade rose from the ground.
Clang!
The assassin's dagger struck the shadow-blade. He froze for a fraction of a second. "It really is the Forbidden Book." His tone actually carried a hint of excitement.
Lin Ye didn't answer. The shadow shifted again, this time transforming into two long black spikes.
Pfft!
The assassin scrambled back. The shadow-spikes grazed his shoulder and buried themselves into the stone wall, causing the masonry to shatter. The assassin's gaze grew even more dangerous.
"Impressive," he said. "No wonder the Council wants you."
Just then, a dull thud came from the rooftop. Su Li and another assassin hit the ground at the same time. Her breathing was slightly ragged, but her eyes remained cold and focused.
"Lin Ye, be careful!"
The assassins were clearly stronger than ordinary Demon Hunters, and their coordination was seamless. The three began to encircle Lin Ye again while Reg was being occupied by the third man.
The situation was growing dire. Lin Ye took a deep breath. His shadow began to bleed outward—it seemed as though every shadow on the entire street was responding to him. The torchlight flickered wildly. The shadows on the walls began to crawl.
In that moment, the lead assassin's expression changed for the first time.
"...Resonance?" he muttered.
Lin Ye himself was stunned. The shadows were no longer just his own; the shadows of the entire street were moving. Darkness converged like a rising tide.
Su Li watched the scene, her gaze complicated. "Lin Ye..."
But there was no time to stop it. The assassins lunged simultaneously. Lin Ye's heart rate spiked, and the shadows erupted. Massive shadow-blades surged from the pavement.
Boom!
The stone street was torn apart. The assassins were violently forced back. The air was thick with dust and debris. Seizing the opening, Reg swung his sword and wounded his opponent.
"Retreat!" the lead assassin commanded in a low voice.
The three of them backed away rapidly. They didn't continue the fight; instead, they watched Lin Ye from a distance, their eyes seemingly confirming a suspicion.
The man in black spoke slowly. "As expected. The Book of the Abyss has awakened."
Lin Ye's shadow was still flickering restlessly. The assassin gave him one final look. "We will meet again very soon."
In the next second, all three vanished into the darkness of the rooftops.
The street returned to silence. Only the torches remained burning. Reg slowly sheathed his sword, his face grim. "We're in big trouble."
Su Li looked at Lin Ye. "Just now... you controlled every shadow on the street."
Lin Ye looked down at the ground. The shadows had returned to normal, as if nothing had happened. But he knew things were different now.
The distant night sky was pitch black, as if an even greater storm were approaching. And Iron Rock City was standing right in the eye of it.