The burden of his new kingdom weighed heavily over Aric, but he did not have a moment in which to savor his triumph.
Not yet.
Aric's death had shaken the court, but beneath its stillness at its core, something stirred.
Something unseen.
And it was heading his direction.
The first whisper of peril arrived at midnight.
A lone letter, carelessly dropped on his private desk, penned in ink so black it appeared almost to be blood.
> "You are not the only predator in this game.
And soon, the hunter will know what it means to be hunted."
No mark. No signature. Only a silent threat of war.
Aric's fingers tightened on the parchment.
A secret enemy.
One who had waited until now to strike.
The System burst into light in his mind.
[ Threat Detected: Unknown Adversary ]
[ Danger Level: High ]
[ Recommended Action: Find the enemy before they attack first. ]
Aric breathed deeply.
He had two options.
1. Wait, lure them out, and get caught off guard.
2. Track them first—before they vanished once more.
There was only one realistic option.
He would hunt them down.
The attack dawned with the break of day.
A flash of motion out of darkness—silent, calculated.
Aric had anticipated it.
He had waited.
As the murderer's blade swooped for his neck, he stepped aside.
Steel against steel, as Aric's dagger deflected the strike, wrenching the assassin's arm around with brutal precision.
The hooded figure snarled in agony but did not falter. They attacked again—faster than a human should.
Aric's eyes narrowed.
Augmented.
Something more than a mere assassin.
The System flashed before his mind.
[ New Data Acquired: Assassin's Bloodline—Shadowborn ]
[ Trained to kill monarchs. Engineered to kill dynasties. ]
A chill understanding struck him.
This was not a solo murderer.
This was a tool.
Passed by a man who truly feared him.
And that meant—whoever had done this knew what he was becoming.
The murderer made his final, desperate blow.
Aric dodged. Barely.
His return-strike was merciless.
A twist. A snap. A slash across the throat.
The murderer went down.
Silence.
Then the ring of footsteps coming closer.
The actual foe were not far behind.
And now, Aric had their trail.
The System stirred with satisfaction.
[ You've weathered the initial attack. ]
[ Now counterattack. ]
Aric's gaze fell upon the dead killer, his eyes cold.
Time to send a message of his own.
One that would never be forgotten by the enemy.