A Peacock Husband of Five Princesses by day, a Noble Assassin by Night-Chapter 81 : The Thousand Faced Spider (4/4)

The frozen battlefield created by Shiera lay still, stretching across the ground like the grasping hands of the fallen. The mist of frost hung heavy in the air, swirling with every motion of the combatants.

The Thousand-Faced Spider watched the black mass of energy that transformed into something humanoid, its countless black eyes narrowing. The monster had fought many warriors, devoured many powerful beings, and stolen their faces, their skills, their very essence. This one, however... seemed like an impossible task.

With inhuman speed, the warrior lunged forward, daggers flashing through the frozen mist. The Spider retaliated instantly, its grotesque limbs slamming against the ground, sending out deadly shockwaves. But the warrior was faster.

The Thousand Faced Spider, changing her face from Shiera into some other woman, hissed, shifting its form fluidly, invoking one of the countless stolen techniques—"Blazing Sky Piercer."

A sudden burst of crimson fire erupted from its fangs, cutting through the air. But before the flames could reach their target—

The warrior vanished.

The next moment, the sound of slicing flesh echoed through the battlefield as one of the Spider's legs was cleaved off, blood spraying onto the ice. *Scraaaa* The creature screeched, retreating for a fraction of a second before changing its face into a man and went on regenerating instantly—the stolen healing abilities working at full force. In no time, a new leg grew from the cut-off part.

It shifted tactics, weaving together a barrage of different stolen abilities. Sonic Boom Strike. Phantom Spear Manifestation. Venomous Rain. Each attack flowed seamlessly into the next.

And yet—none of them landed.

The warrior danced through the chaos, moving with a precision that the Spider couldn't comprehend. Each time it attacked, the daggers struck back twice as fast. Each wound that healed, another deeper wound was inflicted. The constant healing of its wounds slowed down its regeneration power eventually.

The Thousand Faced Spider was losing. Instead of a look of amusement on its face, there was a look mixed with anger and frustration.

"It's a powerful demigod expert, someone I couldn't win. There's no point in fighting head on." The Thousand-Faced Spider thought, realizing it was outmatched.

It turned its attention to Shiera's motionless body, calculating its only remaining strategy to press her opponent—hostage. If it could reach her before the warrior could react, it might still survive.

It moved in Shiera's direction.

But so did he.

In an instant, the stranger was already there, standing protectively over Shiera's fallen form before the monster even crossed halfway the distance. The stranger raised the twin daggers, staring at the monster as if it was a dead corpse already.

Realizing that victory was impossible, the panic-stricken beast abandoned the fight. It turned, skittering away into the thick mist, hoping to escape. Relief flooded its mind as the battlefield grew distant and the warrior never chased after it.

However, as it crossed its domain, the mist woods, the monster captured a human who was sitting there in front of a campfire. It was a man. Kael Moonstone, in his assassin attire.

It stopped while Kael seemingly turned towards it as if he just sensed its presence.

His hood cast a shadow over his masked face, his posture relaxed, almost indifferent. But the spider could feel it—that same ominous aura.

The Thousand-Faced Spider hesitated, its countless eyes narrowing. A realization struck it like a dagger to the core.

"You… You smell the same as that shadow earlier," it hissed, its voice layered with the echoes of a hundred stolen tongues. "You carry the same silhouette. But you… are weak. Tier-7 at most. And yet, I couldn't defeat you. How is that possible? Are you another being… or the same one?"

Kael tilted his head slightly, his expression unreadable. "I have no idea what you're talking about." His voice was calm, steady. Slowly, he reached for the broadsword lying beside him and warned. "I don't know what you are, monster. But, I'm not in any mood to battle. I came here for some peace time. So, if you don't bother me, I'll let you go on your way."

The Thousand-Faced Spider let out a dry, chittering laugh. "You? A Tier-7 warning me to stay away?"

Without warning, its neck shot forward, stretching unnaturally like a serpentine as it lunged at Kael, aiming to devour him in one strike.

Kael's arms crossed in front of him as if caught off guard, but the moment the spider's maw reached him—it just passed through him.

The Thousand-Faced Spider recoiled in shock, its head whipping around. "Wha…"

And then—

Kael, the real one, materialized behind its body. This one held the Sword of Zurin, its dark energy pulsing ominously. Before the spider could react, Kael swung the blade in a single, effortless motion.

A crescent arc of black energy ripped through the air.

The Thousand-Faced Spider's legs—all of them—were severed in an instant.

*Scraaaaaa*

A guttural shriek tore through the woods as its massive body collapsed onto the frozen ground. The creature writhed, its severed head retracting back into its ruined form, unable to comprehend what had just happened.

Kael stepped forward, his expression unreadable beneath his mask. His voice, however, was laced with ice. "You've lived for centuries, stealing power, deceiving others… Did you forget that humans were the original liars of the planet? We deceive to any extent to fulfill our needs. Tell me, how does it feel to be on the receiving end? You feel frustrated, aren't you?"

A slow, dreadful realization dawned upon the Thousand-Faced Spider.

It had been completely deceived.

And this man… was no Tier-7 warrior.

The Thousand-Faced Spider, now crippled, let out a strained, hissing breath. Even as its severed limbs twitched on the frozen ground, it did not beg for mercy. Instead, it simply stared at the man before it with its many glistening eyes.

"I only did what was necessary," it rasped, its voice carrying the echoes of countless souls it had devoured. "You humans entered my lair with the intent to kill. Yes, fooling the intruders did amuse me, but I did not hunt for amusement. I only fought to survive."

Kael, as the darkness within him stirred, took a slow step forward. His expression did not waver, but the aura around him grew heavier, suffocating, drenched in a cold, quiet fury.

"Survival?" his voice was low, measured, yet beneath it was the storm of something much darker.

He lifted the Sword of Zurin, its dark energy crackling as if resonating with his wrath.

"While I can understand your point, but my wife happened to be your latest victim. And I'm merely enacting the vengeance of the pain you inflicted upon her."

The Thousand-Faced Spider tensed. "She… she was your wife? Then, why haven't you come before? Couldn't you have saved her and her friends?"

R𝑒ad lat𝒆st chapt𝒆rs at free𝑤ebnovel.com Only.

Kael did not explain. He did not need to.

With one decisive swing, the Sword of Zurin cleaved through the air, unleashing an arc of pure darkness. The energy surged forward, unstoppable, inevitable.

Before the Thousand-Faced Spider could even react—before it could muster any of the thousand stolen skills it possessed—

It was severed in two.

A wet, sickening silence filled the frozen battlefield. The halves of the monster collapsed, lifeless, onto the ice.

Kael stood still for a moment, watching as the dark energy from the sword slowly faded into the mist.

"And now the justice has been served."

Kael exhaled, his breath visible in the lingering cold mist. He stared down at the Sword of Zurin, still humming faintly in his grip, its dark energy crackling softly along the blade's length.

He frowned, flexing his fingers around the hilt before muttering, "This sword is ridiculously strong... but damn, it's heavy and awkward to swing. I like my daggers more. They are sleek and comfortable."

As if in response, the sword glowed momentarily, a deep, resonant hum vibrating through the air.

Kael blinked, surprised. Through their soul connection, he could feel that the sword of Zurin was quite displeased by his comment.

A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. "Ah… sorry about that. Didn't mean to offend you."

The humming died down, and he felt the energy settle, as though the sword had accepted his apology.

Shaking his head in mild amusement, Kael slid the sword back into its sheath before turning his gaze toward the battlefield, where his energy form remained. His expression darkened as he sighed, watching over Shiera's motionless body.

"It's a good thing I was close by… Otherwise, I would have lost Shiera today."

Meanwhile, his energy form, still under his direct control, hovered over Shiera's unconscious body, its presence pulsating with dark energy.

Its focus was clear—it was expelling the toxic gas that had invaded her system.

The process was slow, careful. He could feel the poison resisting, clinging desperately to her mana flow, but his energy was persistent, methodically pushing the toxin out, unraveling its grip on her body.

The energy clone silently watched the progress for a while.

Eventually, a sudden gasp broke the stillness.

Shiera's eyes snapped open, and she shot up into a sitting position, her breath ragged. A sharp chill ran through her body, remnants of the poison's effect still lingering in her nerves. But, her revitalized mana managed to expel it out of her system.

The energy clone tilted its head slightly, as if acknowledging her awakening, before vanishing in a blur of motion, streaking away into the frozen mist.

Shiera's heart pounded.

She didn't know whether to feel relieved or threatened.

Staring after the disappearing figure, she murmured, "I only know one person said to have mastered the art of manifesting a physical energy clone out of their mana…"

Her fingers curled into fists as an old memory surfaced.

"Mother's greatest enemy… Assassin K."

A chilling thought crept into her mind.

"Is it him… or someone else?"