NOVEL WEB Chapter 13: Assassin in the Shadows
Chapter 13: Assassin in the Shadows
The streets of Romero were more alive than usual. News of John's Resonance Stone incident had spread like wildfire. Every Riftblade, merchant, and civilian stole glances at him, some whispering, others outright staring.
John ignored them, adjusting the black blade strapped to his back.
"You're getting attention," Starla muttered, walking beside him with her hands in her pockets.
John sighed. "Great."
She smirked. "You should get used to it. People don't forget when someone overloads thousands of Resonance Stones."
John didn't respond. He wasn't worried about attention—he was worried about why he had such power in the first place.
That word from the book…
Chaos God.
Why did it feel so familiar?
Then, all at once—his body tensed.
A sudden chill crawled up his spine.
John stopped walking. His cold black eyes scanned the rooftops, the alleyways, the shifting crowds.
Something was wrong.
Starla noticed. "What's up?"
John's instincts were screaming at him. Someone was watching. Someone dangerous.
Then—a flicker of movement.
A shadow lunged from above.
John spun around, blade flashing—just in time.
CLANG!
A dagger slammed against his sword, inches from his throat.
A black-cloaked figure landed in front of him, masked and poised like a phantom. Their blade pressed hard against his defense, strength unnatural and precise.
John's arms trembled slightly from the sheer force.
Starla's eyes widened. "What the—?!"
The assassin vanished.
John barely had time to react before—
A second attack.
From behind.
He whirled, barely dodging as the assassin's blade sliced through the air where his neck had been a second earlier.
Starla burst into action. Her hand glowed with golden Rift energy, a scorching light forming in her palm.
"Get away from him!"
She unleashed a blazing arc of energy.
The assassin flickered out of existence, dodging the attack with impossible speed.
They landed on a rooftop, crouched and watching. Silent. Unreadable.
John narrowed his eyes.
Not a normal opponent.
Starla growled. "Who the hell are you?!"
The assassin finally spoke. Their voice was distorted, like it didn't belong to one person but many.
"…He was not supposed to survive."
John's grip tightened on his sword. "Who sent you?"
The assassin tilted their head slightly. Then, without warning—
They lunged again.
Faster than before.
John reacted, raising his sword, but—
Too late.
A cold blade sliced across his side.
John gritted his teeth as pain seared through him. Blood dripped onto the stone street.
Starla rushed forward, eyes blazing with fury. She launched another attack—this time, a rapid blast of Rift-infused strikes.
The assassin dodged them all.
John forced himself to move, pushing past the pain. His eyes locked onto the assassin's movements, analyzing their pattern.
They weren't just fast. They were predicting his actions.
Which meant—
John's stance shifted.
The assassin lunged again—going for the kill.
John pretended to be too slow.
The assassin's blade came straight for his heart.
And at the last second—he moved.
SLASH!
His black blade sliced clean across the assassin's shoulder.
For the first time, the assassin stumbled.
John didn't let them recover. He attacked, pressing forward, blade flashing like a storm.
The assassin dodged, barely. Their movements weren't as smooth anymore.
Starla grinned. "Not so untouchable now, huh?"
The assassin was losing control. Their Rift energy flickered, unstable.
John and Starla moved together, closing in.
Then—
The assassin suddenly threw a small black orb onto the ground.
BOOM!
A thick, dark fog erupted, swallowing the street in shadows.
John coughed, vision completely blocked.
By the time the fog cleared—
The assassin was gone.
---
Aftermath
John pressed a hand to his bleeding side. The wound wasn't fatal, but it stung like hell.
Starla scowled. "Dammit. They got away."
John's expression was unreadable. "They said… I wasn't supposed to survive."
Starla's face darkened. "Someone wants you dead."
John looked at the spot where the assassin had disappeared. His blood dripped onto the stone, staining the ground like an omen.
This wasn't over.
Someone was coming for him.
And they wouldn't stop until he was dead.