The Monster Monarch System-Chapter 224: Assassins

Kiara wrinkled her nose as they passed a stall selling fish. "As if we’d want to get lost here. Smells like the ocean died."

Luke chuckled, shouldering a small pack of supplies they had already purchased. "I don’t know. I think it gives the town character."

"Focus," Rem said, though his tone was more amused than stern.

They spent the next hour gathering necessities — dried food, extra water skins, and medicinal herbs.

Rem also picked up a few throwing knives from a weapons merchant, slipping them into his belt without a word.

Kiara raised an eyebrow but didn’t comment.

By the time they were ready to leave, the sun was high in the sky, its warmth cutting through the morning chill.

The trio made their way toward the town gates, their supplies packed and their spirits relatively high.

The road leading out of Ether Town was lined with thick trees, their branches twisting together to form a natural canopy.

The sunlight filtered through the leaves in dappled patterns, and the air was alive with the chirping of birds and the rustling of small animals.

But as they moved farther from the town, Rem’s steps slowed.

His eyes darted to the shadows between the trees, his senses prickling with unease.

"Something’s wrong," he said quietly, his voice sharp enough to halt both Luke and Kiara in their tracks.

Kiara frowned, glancing around. "What do you mean?"

Rem didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he tilted his head slightly, listening.

The forest had gone unnaturally quiet — no birds, no wind, just the faint creak of tree branches swaying.

Then he saw it: a faint glint of metal high up in the branches.

"Get down!" Rem barked, shoving both Luke and Kiara to the ground just as a blade whistled through the air, embedding itself in the spot where Luke had been standing.

The forest erupted into chaos. Figures dropped from the trees, their movements fluid and precise.

They were clad in dark clothing, their faces obscured by masks, and they moved with the deadly grace of trained killers.

Assassins.

Rem rose to his feet in a single motion, his hand already on the hilt of his sword.

His eyes narrowed as he counted their attackers — six of them, all armed and positioned to encircle them.

One of the assassins stepped forward, his twin daggers glinting in the dappled sunlight.

"You made this easy, boy," he said, his voice cold and professional. "A thousand silver coins for your head. Shame it’s not more, but I’ll take what I can get."

Rem’s lips curled into a smirk. "A thousand? That’s insulting. I’m worth at least five times that."

The assassin’s eyes narrowed. "Cocky for a dead man."

Rem didn’t bother with a reply. He moved faster than any of them expected, his blade flashing as he lunged at the nearest attacker.

The man barely had time to react before Rem’s sword sliced through his guard, the force of the blow sending him sprawling.

"Stay close and don’t interfere," Rem ordered Luke and Kiara without looking back. "This isn’t your fight."

"But — " Luke started, only for Kiara to grab his arm and shake her head.

"Don’t argue. He’s serious," she whispered, pulling him back toward the tree line.

The assassins regrouped quickly, their movements coordinated as they tried to overwhelm Rem with their numbers.

Two came at him from the front while another circled behind, aiming for his blind spot.

But Rem wasn’t an ordinary target.

He sidestepped the first strike with almost lazy precision, his sword flicking out to disarm one attacker before spinning to block the blade of the second.

Without missing a beat, he ducked under the swing of the third assassin, driving his elbow into the man’s stomach and sending him crashing to the ground. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

The remaining assassins hesitated, clearly reevaluating their approach.

"You’ve got some skill," one of them admitted grudgingly. "But even you can’t fight us all."

Rem’s smirk deepened. "You’re welcome to try."

As the assassins attacked again, Rem activated the one of his countless skills.

A faint glow surrounded him as he tapped into the power, enhancing his speed and strength.

His movements became a blur, his strikes too fast for the assassins to track.

Within moments, another attacker fell, clutching a deep wound in his side.

Rem didn’t stop. He focused on the system’s secondary function, channeling the soul energy of his fallen enemies.

A faint, dark mist rose from the bodies of the defeated assassins, swirling around him before sinking into his skin.

The surge of power was intoxicating, but Rem remained in control. He couldn’t afford to lose focus — not with Luke and Kiara watching.

The last two assassins exchanged a glance before retreating, vanishing into the trees as quickly as they had appeared.

Rem stood in the clearing, his blade still in hand, his chest rising and falling with controlled breaths.

He scanned the forest for any remaining threats before sheathing his sword.

"It’s over," he said, turning back to Luke and Kiara.

Luke stared at him, his eyes wide. "What... what was that?"

"An ambush," Rem said simply, wiping his blade clean.

Kiara elbowed him. "Stop prying."

Rem gave her a faint nod of approval before addressing them both. "Let’s move. This road isn’t safe anymore."

They didn’t argue, falling into step behind him as he led them deeper into the forest.

"Who are you, really?" he muttered under his breath, too low for anyone but himself to hear.

Ahead of him, Rem’s expression was unreadable, but his mind was already racing.

The bounty was no coincidence. Orion Town wanted him dead — and they were willing to put his namemin the black market to make it happen.

But then again, he couldn’t blame them.... He was worse after all.

He tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword, his resolve hardening.

If they wanted him, they’d have to do better than this.

’And they better increase the bounty a lot after this... a measly thousand silver coins,’