Chapter 612: A Small Shop No One Visited

Across this continent, no one harbored any affection for assassins; instead, there existed an instinctual aversion to them.

This held true even for the elves, those elegant and benevolent beings who cherished life and yearned for freedom.

They possessed no faith, and were certainly never graced by the favor of the gods.

They were like the outcasts of the era. Within the inner courtyard of the Arbitrate Temple in Grey Eagle City, the slanting rays of a blood-red sunset, along with the mere handful of broken, battered figures fleeing in haste outside the city walls, drew a final, tragic period to this failed assassination.

...

The following day, Canglan City.

A flock of lovely doves always gathered upon White Dove Square. Free from the fear of strangers, they would occasionally hop onto the shoulders of the people lounging about, while the denizens here seemed equally warm toward them, with some even preparing scattered grains to feed these delightful creatures.

"Oh! My apologies, brother." In an alley just off White Dove Square, a passing figure stood habitually within the shadows, staring blankly at the bustling crowds moving to and fro across the plaza.

His gaze betrayed a profound helplessness and sorrow; after offering a silent prayer to an unknown deity for a brief moment, he hurried away.

...

A red-haired woman sat upon a bench in the square, the gentle breeze of the rising sun caressing her somewhat pale cheeks. She reached up to smooth her wind-disheveled hair, and from her palm, a white dove flapped its wings and took flight.

...

The lifespans of elves were vastly longer than those of humans.

Consequently, they seldom forged friendships with humans, for aside from the truly powerful, any bond they formed would likely outlive all but the decrepit elders of the other party.

Elves had always abhorred war and slaughter, yet they did not foolishly oppose conflict blindly; when necessary, they would still draw their blades to defend what was rightfully theirs.

Sera was currently calculating the days remaining before her return.

"I wonder if that wretched little shop will release Assassin's Creed before I have to leave," she thought with a tinge of annoyance, having never encountered a store so stubborn as to offer a glimpse without letting anyone try it.

"Do they even want to make money?" She stamped her foot, thinking crossly that if it wasn't out by the time she returned to the Silver Moon Forest, she wouldn't let this little shop earn a single coin from her.

Humph!

...

The mercenaries of the Mercenary Guild, as part of the common populace, formed a massive collective yet maintained a decent level of spending power, making them perhaps the largest target audience for the cultivation mystic realms.

By the same token, they frequently patronized lesser-known cultivation realms simply for the slightly cheaper rates—something the true nobility would never deign to do.

At that moment, several mercenaries emerged from the guild's tavern.

The news that a certain small shop intended to launch a mystic realm centered on assassins had quickly become the latest topic of conversation for most people.

"Hey! Have you heard? Word is there's a small shop in the city whose newly released mystic realm is all about assassins." Of course, anyone capable of operating a cultivation realm could never truly be considered "small"; even if it were privately owned, the proprietor would possess immense wealth.

A "small shop" was merely a relative term.

"Assassins? Are you pulling my leg? Don't tell me he actually expects real assassins to walk into his shop and cultivate in his realm?" one mercenary couldn't help but laugh heartily.

"If an assassin actually dared to show their face, I reckon they'd be beaten right out of the city before they could even set foot inside," another scoffed.

"Oh, by the way... I heard that the Dulan Workshop is about to unveil a brand-new cultivation mystic realm soon."

"Really?"

"Of course. I went over to the Temple yesterday and picked up quite a bit of fresh news."

"Shall we check it out?"

"Definitely. If we're too slow, we won't make it in time. Let's hurry."

...

In truth, it was not just the ordinary mercenaries; even the Golden Griffin Knights—those noble lords of chivalry bound to the kingdom—were clearly paying close attention to the upcoming, brand-new realm from the Dulan Workshop.

The Dulan Workshop itself naturally attached immense importance to this event, and today, a specialized presentation was being held at their mystic realm branch stationed in Canglan City.

Even though they would not be catching sight of the noble and beautiful Lady Jessica, or the grand and elegant Lord Carl this time—both of whom had somehow become cleaning staff at a certain obscure little shop.

They still held exceedingly high expectations for this new realm that the Dulan Workshop intended to unveil.

So much so that they had gathered early, waiting inside the auditorium just outside the Dulan Workshop.

"Oh, I admit the cultivation realm in that Origin Internet Club is quite remarkable, but the creations of the Dulan Workshop have always carried a guarantee of quality," Commander Evan said with a shrug. "I believe it is well worth our time to see what they have to offer."

He seemed to be muttering to himself, yet his words were also directed at Helen and the other knights of the order.

Meanwhile, at the front of the auditorium, a middle-aged man clad in a ritual robe was giving a passionate demonstration.

"I consider this to be the finest cultivation mystic realm our Dulan Workshop has ever produced." Within the magical projection, a bright and cheerful young man could be seen sitting cross-legged upon a strange stone array that radiated intricate, light-blue patterns of energy.

The surroundings appeared to be the interior of some tower-like structure, with stone steps winding upward.

As the luminescence of the formation flowed and shifted, the environment gradually transformed into a semblance of the starry sky, with glittering array runes drifting through the air in a display both real and illusory. Amidst the continuous swirling of those strange lights, the scene before them slowly dissolved into a vast forest. It felt exactly as though one had been transported by an array; in the far distance beyond the woods, a sprawling city and a grand temple seemed to loom, while beasts and birds darted through the trees with vivid realism.

Naturally, only a true grand workshop like the Dulan Workshop would pursue such perfection; this was a level of craftsmanship unseen in other cultivation realms.

"I assume Your Excellency is well aware that in Canglan City, excellent mystic realms emerge one after another. Do you truly possess the confidence that this newly released realm can stand out among them?" Accompanying the white-robed man was a mage from the Alchemist Guild.

The Alchemist Guild clearly viewed this with grave importance as well, for the elegant man, dressed like a scholar, spoke up to pose the question.

"But of course. I am entirely confident that this cultivation realm will sweep through the entire city and trigger a brand-new craze," the middle-aged priest declared fervently as he introduced the details to the crowd.

"I heard that this realm also includes content regarding how to deal with assassins, is that correct?"

"Indeed. The anti-assassination training within this new realm is drawn from a classic defensive campaign. You have guessed correctly—it is precisely the battle from last year when Lord Saint Dulan was assassinated. I believe it will teach those who enter to train exactly how to guard against the ambushes of those wretched cowards who only know how to hide their faces."

"In this anti-assassination campaign, we can choose to become one of the knights present at the scene, or even personally direct the deployment of the entire operation, correct?"

"Naturally," the middle-aged priest replied as if it were an absolute certainty. "We have always strived for absolute perfection."

"Then what are your thoughts regarding the rumors circulating the city lately about a certain shop planning to release something called Assassin's Creed?" Evidently, the news that someone actually intended to launch an "assassin mystic realm" had reached the ears of this high-ranking official of the Alchemist Guild, and the mere mention of assassins naturally brought the matter to mind.

"Assassins?" The middle-aged man in priestly robes laughed. "Do you truly believe anyone among those seated here would willingly become a filthy, pathetic wretch who does nothing but skulk in dark corners to launch sneak attacks?"

His words immediately elicited a burst of mockery and laughter from many in the crowd.

"I reckon whoever crafted such a realm must be a lunatic. A shop like that will surely find itself completely devoid of patrons."

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