### Chapter 32: Deathwalker
2015-05-23
Author: Floating Tower
A roaring fire ignited.
With the explosion of the gunpowder barrels in the warehouse, the entire port became a sea of fire, and as the flames spread, some warships’ sails were directly set ablaze. It seemed as if the wind aided the flames, causing more than a dozen ships to erupt in flames. Although the hulls were made of wood, it wasn’t so easy to ignite, and only the sails readily caught fire; once the fire started, it quickly consumed them and gradually spread to other areas.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The continuous sounds of artillery fired as the black ghost ship bombarded the port. Once the enemy reacted and started to launch their ships, it gradually vanished into the thick fog.
At this moment, Soren’s figure had long been lost; only death, raging fire, and destruction remained on this island.
………………
A somewhat panicked figure of Prince Hans appeared, surrounded by numerous guards, along with a few vague silhouettes. Upon discovering signs of assassination by other high-level wanderers, the number of those protecting Prince Hans doubled. At this moment, there was no anger on Prince Hans’s face, but instead, a hint of fear—a terrifying unease born from a deep sense of helplessness. Although the enemy seemed to be just one, he felt as if he were prey, trapped on this island, at any moment to be devoured by the enemy.
The fog under the night seemed like a prison, and he couldn’t even determine where the enemy was!
“It’s a high-level wanderer!”
A swift figure cloaked in a veil appeared beside Prince Hans and said in a deep voice, “The method of killing is clean and efficient; it is highly likely to be an assassin close to legendary level.”
Soren’s assassination techniques were quite similar to those of an assassin.
In fact, in the Underdark, even rangers received combat training in assassination, not to mention someone like Soren, a true wanderer.
“Can we find him?”
Prince Hans turned his head. With a somewhat stiff expression, he said, “Is he still on the island? Can you find him?”
The masked man beside him shook his head with difficulty and replied solemnly, “The opponent is adept at stealth; there are no traces nearby, and he may have already left this island.”
“Your Highness.”
“This level of high-grade assassin is extremely dangerous; others can hardly detect him. From now on, you’d better not leave my sight.”
Leave?
Prince Hans turned his head with difficulty, looking towards the nearby high-level sorcerer, and said, “I can have you protect me, but what about the others?”
“What if he sneaks in to assassinate others every day?”
“Your Excellency?”
“Is there a way to find this assassin?”
Upon hearing this, the high-level sorcerer pondered for a moment before responding, “If we can locate his general position in advance, I can use spells to dispel his stealth. But this island is so vast; we cannot possibly monitor all places. He can likely sneak around easily unless there is a master skilled in tracking who can locate him in advance.”
The fire was gradually extinguished.
However, the losses were quite heavy; the leader of the Víkings was furious, yelling because many of his pirates were killed in their sleep.
This method of death was a humiliation for them, as they didn’t even see the enemy’s face.
“I can set some magical traps.”
The high-level sorcerer looked at the surrounding flames, unconsciously feeling a bit nervous, as if someone were watching him, and said, “But do not have too high hopes; such high-level assassins are very clever at disarming traps.”
If assassination were the goal, the primary target would definitely be Prince Hans. The second target could very likely be a spellcaster like him.
Therefore, he felt a bit uneasy.
The number of high-level wanderers was actually not that many, as many wanderers stayed at the level of petty theft. Advancing to high-level required rigorous training, growing in skill through killings. The casualty rate of wanderers in adventuring parties has always been high because they have to scout, disarm traps, and reconnoiter enemy conditions; even the slightest mistake could lead to disaster. High-level assassins like the one tonight were even rarer. Dealing with them could be more difficult.
For top-tier assassins, killing spellcasters below legendary level is not considered very hard.
“What are the casualties?”
Prince Hans stood in the crowd and inquired of a nearby naval officer, “How many of our men suffered losses?”
The naval officer’s expression was somewhat panicked as he lowered his voice and said, “The personnel casualties are not very high; many of the dead are Víkings, and many of our people are still on the ships. However, our gunpowder depot was ignited, and we may be short on ammunition. The place where supplies were stored also exploded, so the losses are expected to be significant.”
Upon hearing this, Prince Hans fiercely struck the wall before him, his expression savage as he exclaimed, “Damn it!”
………………
The results of this night were quite glorious.
Soren stood on the deck of The Requiem, gazing at the distant island where the flames had not yet extinguished.
He had not expected that the enemy had actually set the gunpowder storage warehouse near the port, and the defenses were not strong at all; it was indeed a stroke of luck. Then came the scene after he withdrew, igniting the barrels and blowing the entire warehouse to the sky. The navy of the Southern Islands had taken a heavy blow; relying solely on the supplies reserved on their warships, they would likely no longer have the capability to attack Arendelle.
Due to today’s events, they would probably increase their defenses in the coming days.
Soren decided to take a break, waiting for the happenings on the west coast to unfold. As soon as the news of the Southern Islands being attacked by pirates returned, Prince Hans would surely be unable to sit still.
Lastly, he glanced at the fiery Dragon Bone Island before ordering The Requiem to head back.
Today’s battle was highly rewarding.
After experiencing so many killings, Soren had finally obtained a legendary-level special background specialty.
——”Deathwalker!”
“Deathwalker [Legendary Background Specialty]: You have grown accustomed to death and blood through numerous killings; ending lives has become as simple as eating and drinking for you. You show no mercy to your enemies, having brought an end to thousands of lives with your hands, and you have started to disregard death. In combat, you will awaken the abilities of the Deathwalker, causing you to feel no pity for your enemies; even friendly spells cannot influence your judgment. Furthermore, the aura of death will further enhance your intimidation ability, exerting a pressure that affects everyone nearby. Any enemy fighting against you must undergo a forced will save or will be thrown into a state of panic due to fear. [Permanent Will +3, Intimidation +50]”
(Note: Due to ending too many lives, you may attract the attention of certain entities in the spirit realm.)
………………
Deathwalker.
With Soren having ended over a thousand enemies’ lives, he finally obtained this legendary-level killing background specialty.
Moreover, due to the intimidation ability granted by “Deathwalker,” Soren’s intimidation skill surprisingly rose to be the second only to stealth and knowledge in his foundational skills.
His intimidation skill reached 135 points!
However, the most important capability of “Deathwalker” is not the increased will and intimidation, but rather the pressure effect generated from death energy.
This is an invisible range ability.
It can be understood as a weakened version of dragon pressure, causing weaker enemies to possibly lose their fighting spirit when facing him!
This ability can significantly enhance Soren’s strategy when facing a siege. If combined with the “Gaze of Fear” ability granted by the divinity of fear, it is likely that ordinary soldiers will not even have the courage to fight against him.
This is an ability similar to that of a demon.
High-level abyss demons exert fear on their enemies during combat. Many times, even when a troop has the ability to surround and kill a high-level demon, they are ultimately easily defeated by fear.
Dawn was approaching.
Before getting close to Arendelle, Soren had The Requiem dive to the seabed and then returned to the port alone.
He was waiting for news from the south!
……………… (To Be Continued ~^~)
