Why Did You Summon Me?

Coup de Grace had been deemed an ultimate secret technique within Umbra’s own league of assassins. The formation was just as demonstrated by the seasoned assassin earlier. The technique allowed the user to spawn at a location close to the desired target, providing the opportunity to carry out a sneak attack or a close-ranged melee.

The method for using this ultimate move was quite straightforward. First, one would enter a concealed mode, through an illusionary technique unique to the assassins. This was followed by numbing the opponent’s senses in the shortest time possible, and within less than a second, the unique chi of the assassin would be accumulated and spent to create a move similar to teleportation, causing the attacker to appear right beside the opponent in a flash to deliver the final blow.

The entire process was abnormally quick; it was as though it happens in the blink of an eye. It was even faster than traveling via actual teleportation, and it was unbelievably silent. Additionally, the numbing effect used on the opponent earlier would lower the speed of their response; even the quickest champions could not overcome this response-delaying effect. An undeniably invincible tactic, indeed.

Although the principles behind this ultimate move were not too hard to grasp, it still required proper understanding because the move would be quite predictable without proper understanding. However, when these basic principles were paired with a smooth, strategic synchronization of the body, the assassination power created would be astonishingly invincible. The might of this effect could even best Dance of the Shadow, which was heavily embedded with visual trickery.

Nevertheless, talk is cheap; handling and mastering this ultimate technique perfectly was not an easy task. Using an assassin’s unique chi in such a teleport-dependent technique was already an extremely difficult feat which took around a decade to master; teleportation was not even the core of this technique. The key to mastering Coup de Grace was actually the illusionary techniques applied to lower the reflex abilities of the opponent. Although illusionary techniques only caused a slight, delaying effect, the illusionary techniques used were basic entry-level skills for an assassin; thus, getting high-level enemies to fall for such a basic technique was not an easy task, either.

Ultimately, all these had to be done in the matter of milliseconds and kept hidden from all senses, simultaneously, in the process; thus, not a wisp of aura was to be emitted before the target was achieved. Killing auras, especially, should be concealed strictly. Not even the sound of the brandishing of a weapon should be emitted, or else, any wisp of aura released could cause the illusionary numbing effect to lose its potency.

Baiyi did not use a standard dagger to perform the technique. A swing of the Saint Quartz staff produced a swaying momentum that cut through the air, piercing through the effects of the illusion, causing the seasoned assassin to sense the impending danger. This prompted him to respond accordingly, swerving away from the fatal blow.

Of course, Baiyi’s mercy did come into play as well.

This technique was created by a gifted assassin who went by the code name ‘Phantom’. Despite being a woman, she was crowned the most talented assassin in history, and she was accepted into Umbra when she was six years old. She completed the entire assassin training schemes at age ten, accomplished individual missions by twelve, and had her first gauntlet carving at age sixteen. The fastest carving she ever acquired happened when she was almost twenty-eight years old.

This very same girl invented the infamous Coup de Grace — the ultimate technique for assassination. It made her become the most talented and most outstanding assassin in history.

However, for her, being an assassin was not her true interest, for it was only a way to survive in this world. Instead of being an assassin, she was more interested in owning her own bakery, where she could dress up attractively during her free time and gaze across the streets, ogling at handsome male passersby. Having the delicate, easily-likable appearance of a beautiful girl, perhaps it was not too much of a fantasy for her to dream of a passionate, romantic affair in such a life, right?

She had planned to retire as soon as she had saved up enough money to start her own bakery. However, a mutiny broke out within Umbra when she was twenty-eight, and she was ordered to eliminate the mutineers. She was betrayed by her most trusted ally during the process, and her soul was exiled into the legendary Void.

That was how this gifted assassin was sacrificed, without even a chance to put on those pretty dresses and accessories she had secretly kept in her closet for the longest time. To commemorate this female Assassin who invented the Coup de Grace, Umbra decided to name those in the league who could master this technique ‘Shadow Assassins’.

And now, the consciousness of this gifted female assassin was pestering Baiyi incessantly…

Contrary to the usual patrons of the Void — who were usually stale, old men and elderly virgins — the little Lady Assassin Walker entered the Void at a fairly young age, looking like a seventeen or eighteen-year-old maiden. She did not give the stoic, morbid impression of a typical assassin, but instead, she exuded a joyful personality; eager to discover new things, her mind brimmed with the curiosity of a little girl. Even Baiyi was a little taken back after they exchanged memories. ‘How could a beautiful maiden like this be exiled into the Void? Was she that much of an impressive assassin?’

After witnessing the fancy techniques she used to kill during her missions, Baiyi truly understood that, before genuine talent, neither appearance nor personality was a determining factor of character. She was petite and adorable, but powerful all the same…

“Ugh, I wanted to quit being an assassin a long time ago, anyway! But now that I have become a Voidwalker… that’s not too bad, eh? It’s like a career change…” The little Lady Assassin Walker may seem a little reserved, but she was very open towards the affairs of the Void. She even took the initiative to exchange memories with Baiyi. His memories on Earth were particularly interesting, and she was drawn to it with an almost fatal attraction.

Back then, Baiyi had been really bored. He noticed that Little Lady Assassin Walker, who was the newest arrival at the time, was adorable and open-minded, seeing as she was jesting and playing around with the others already.

“You want to exchange memories so quickly? But, this exchange… it’s equivalent to sharing all your secrets with the other party. Do you know the meaning behind this?” Baiyi had asked her back then.

“Whatever, whatever! Quick, quick!” The Lady Assassin Walker insisted impatiently.

To women in the Void who had not engaged in a romance before, Baiyi’s little joke might be interpreted in a very wrong way; exchanging memories between a man and a woman was an intimate affair that was only done between couples. Thank heavens that neither the little Lady Assassin Walker or the Warrior walker had shifted their thoughts towards that direction… ‘they wouldn’t, would they?’ At least, that was what Baiyi presumed.

Alright, let’s get back to the present. Baiyi did not understand why the little Lady Assassin Walker kept poking him with her consciousness, without issuing any verbal instructions after the pokes. Had she been rendered speechless because she was too…. emotional after seeing her descendant? The pokes got annoying after a while, though, so Baiyi finally responded to her pestering by returning consciousness jabs back at her.

“Aiiih!!” She yelped and stopped her little jabs.

“How about that? Still want to continue?” In reality, Baiyi put the Saint Quartz away, and he smirked at the seasoned assassin on the ground, who seemed to be in a sorry state.

“Ugh… thank you for the mercy, Sir Hope…” This time, the seasoned assassin was too ashamed to even think of hitting back.