Chapter 154: The End of Volume I - A FAILED HERO.
Inside the Hidden Hand Headquarters...
"Who accepted the Hero assassination request?" A deep, furious voice echoed throughout the dimly lit chamber.
The room fell deathly silent. While a long obsidian table stood at its center.
Twelve seats surrounded it. Upon each sat a figure cloaked in black robes, their faces hidden beneath deep hoods.
Every one of them radiated the overwhelming aura of a Diamond Knight.
Any one of these individuals alone possessed enough power to shake an entire kingdom.
At the head of the table...
A thirteenth chair stood slightly elevated above the others.
Upon it sat the organization’s leader. A Peak Diamond Knight.
Only a single step away from entering the realm of Kings.
A being capable of influencing the balance of entire kingdom.
Silence lingered for several seconds.
Finally one of the hooded figures slowly stood. His face had already turned deathly pale.
"It... was me." His voice carried obvious guilt.
He was the one who had approved the second assassination request against the Hero.
The moment those words left his mouth. Every gaze in the chamber slowly shifted toward him.
No one spoke, they merely stared at him. The looks in their eyes all conveyed the same message.
Idiot.
Not because he admitted his mistake.
But because he had actually accepted a contract targeting the Hero.
The leader’s eyes locked onto him.
For a brief moment it looked as though he might crush the man’s throat where he stood.
Fortunately he restrained himself.
"Shadow." His voice was frighteningly calm.
"Have you forgotten our motto?"
The atmosphere instantly became heavier. Because everyone remembered those words.
They had been engraved into the organization since the day it was founded.
"The Hand sees."
"The Hand knows."
"The Hand delivers."
Back then The Hidden Hand had been weak. Survival required caution.
So they gathered information first. Learned everything about the target.
Evaluated the risks. Only then did they decide whether to accept the mission.
Finally if the target was deemed acceptable. They delivered upon their promise.
That single motto had allowed the Hidden Hand to survive for centuries.
Unfortunately as the organization grew stronger. Many members gradually forgot its true meaning.
To them only the final part mattered.
"The Hand delivers." As long as enough money was offered.
They accepted any mission. Without considering the consequences.
Kings. Royal families. Ancient clans. Even organizations they should never provoke.
But money blinded them.
Shadow slowly lowered his head. Cold sweat trickled down his forehead.
"Leader..."
"Please forgive me this once."
"I swear I’ll never make the same mistake ne—"
"Next time?" The leader’s voice suddenly exploded.
His terrifying aura swept across the chamber.
Several Diamond Knights instinctively stiffened.
"You still think..."
"...there will be a next time?" His voice became even colder.
After a long silence. He slowly shook his head.
"We’re entering slumber." Upon this, the room instantly erupted.
"What?!"
"Leader!"
"You can’t be serious!"
Expressions changed one after another. Entering slumber meant suspending nearly every operation.
No assassinations, contracts and intelligence network.
Nothing for an entire century.
"But what about our overseas branches?" One hooded elder asked anxiously.
He had invested enormous resources into establishing one of those branches.
If it were abandoned his losses would be catastrophic.
The same concern appeared on several other faces.
The leader merely looked at them indifferently.
"As we speak, the lunatics from the Holy Light Church have likely already begun hunting us."
His cold gaze swept across everyone present.
"So Abandon every compromised branch."
The chamber fell silent once more. Everyone’s expressions became pale.
They all understood what that order truly meant.
Those abandoned branches. Were being sacrificed.
So before anyone could object with some nonsene. The leader stood.
His shadow gradually dissolved into darkness.
Just before completely disappearing. He spoke one final sentence.
"Shadow."
"You and your branch will serve as the bait."
"If you survive. I’ll allow you to return."
"If not, consider your debt repaid."
With this, his voice faded completely and the leader vanished.
Leaving behind a deathly silence.
Shadow remained frozen in place. His body trembled uncontrollably. One hand clutched his forehead.
While the other pulled tightly at his own hair.
Despair filled his eyes. He understood perfectly.
If he obeyed the order. The Church would undoubtedly kill him.
If he disobeyed. The Hidden Hand’s leader would personally hunt him down.
Either way...
Death awaited him.
The remaining members quietly watched his miserable state.
Yet not a single one mocked him. Nor did anyone offer sympathy.
Because...
Many of them had committed equally reckless acts in the past.
Accepting contracts against nobles. Royal families. and powerful organizations.
All for money.
Though this time Shadow had simply been the unlucky one.
One after another the hooded figures silently left the chamber.
Some immediately began preparing escape routes.
Others planned to disappear beneath new identities.
Within minutes the headquarters emptied.
Only Shadow remained.
Sitting alone in the darkness. Waiting for death to decide. Which side would reach him first.
***
VOLUME I END - A FAILED HERO.
Well... that was a hella journey;
As this is my first book. I don’t have many expectations for this.
But surprisingly, many new readers came and supported this work.
For that I AM TRULY VERY VERY GRATEFUL to all of you.
And special thanks to everyone who has supported this novel with GT, PS, Reviews and coins.
As all of you are life savers.
Ok... now, Volume II will start. So what’s to expect?
I will not spoil everything here, but a few things you can listen to.
The second volume will be focused on Kingdom building, territory expansion, so conflict will naturally follow.
One wife will also be going to meet Luke, so you are free to guess who she is. "◕‿◕"
New units, new artifacts, (Confirmed.)
New titans??? (¯\_(ツ)_/¯)
And maybe, some harem members will also be spotted in the second volume.
Though no marriages for them.
That’s it, I guess.
And don’t worry, I am not taking a break, so the new volume will come as usual.
Also I don’t have any plans to drop this novel. So everyone can chill.
And if you leave a good review on the webnovel, it will also help this novel and me a lot.
{kekeke, I am excited for the Volume II ending. Will the meteor end the world, or will Luke get kidnapped.}
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-EternalVoidRuler.