Wooden planks bridged the gaps between crumbling buildings in the lower district, creating a maze of makeshift paths that stretched three stories high. Children darted across these precarious walkways while women hung patched laundry on lines strung between windows.

The air grew heavier here, thick with the stench of neglect—moldy wood, human waste, and the desperate dreams of thousands packed too tightly together. Without easy access to the river, the cobblestones had accumulated years of grime, forcing residents to create their own paths above the filth.

Nova watched a young boy share his bread crust with an even younger girl, while a drunk man argued with shadows nearby. Two women whispered over a thin soup pot that would feed a dozen.

'This is where the ugliness of humanity is densest. But it's also where the good shines brighter than anywhere else… If it has the chance to appear.'

The sun had passed below the horizon, leaving the moon as the main light source in the dark streets. It was as round as ever, making Nova wonder how the celestial bodies orbited one another. It kept poking at his perception for some reason.

A young woman stood in the shadows, leaning against a wall while twirling a dagger skillfully. She looked like a typical hoodlum, on the watch for anything interesting. Nova could feel her eyes studying him and felt his spirits lift.

'Yes, please tell your friends about the child walking the streets alone! Or better yet, trick me into following you!'

"Hey there, kiddo. Are you lost?" The woman asked him, putting the dagger back in her belt. "Do you want me to bring you somewhere?"

Nova took a short breath, preparing his acting abilities for a night of deceit. "W-where is my home? Do you know m-my mom?" he stuttered, hoping he wouldn't make her pity him.

"Of course I know your mom! Here, I'll take you to her." She reached a hand out to him, waiting for him to take it.

"Hey!" a voice shouted from nearby. A man was running toward them, holding a hand up.

'No, damn it! Don't help me!'

"There's no point in taking him; they've stopped buying," the man said when he was close enough, looking at the woman like a colleague. He seemed even more like a hoodlum than her, with a hood covering his face and a thin goatee around his narrow mouth. "Just leave him be, unless you actually wanted to help him."

"Hah, fat chance," the woman replied with a harsh laugh, folding her arms and ignoring Nova completely. "What's up with them stopping?"

"I dunno, but it's straight from the boss himself." The man's voice dropped lower, looking around for any eavesdroppers. "It's been put on hold for some reason."

"Fuckin'..." The woman spat on the grimy cobblestones. "Where will we get paid now, then? What about all the pregnant girls?"

The man's lips curled into an ugly smirk. "You considering joining them?"

"Fuck off!" the woman sneered back, making a gesture with her hand. Probably a rude one, Nova thought. "Will they have to figure something else out?"

"Nah, that's still on, apparently." He leaned closer, voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper that carried clearly in the evening air. "But they only take newborns now."

Nova felt ice crystallize in his veins. The familiar rage rose like bile in his throat. 'Holy shit, this world is fucked. They buy newborns from poor citizens, and women have kids for the sake of selling them?'

A dangerous mixture of anger and disgust coiled in his chest, threatening to burst forth with lethal consequences. Only centuries of control kept his small hands from trembling. 'Calm down, I need to follow them back to their leader. That's where change can happen.'

"Well, back to the boss, I guess..." The woman's shoulders slumped slightly.

"He'll just tell you to join the church again."

"I'd rather go die in the outlands… Is he available?"

"Yeah, he sent a call for us to gather. He should be in the northern warehouse right now." The man glanced over his shoulder, suddenly seeming more alert. "Said something about an assassin, might become a problem."

'... How nice of the governor to give them a heads-up about me.' Nova sneered, having expected better from the man. 'Let's hope these guys are nice enough to lead me to their boss.''

"I'll head over, then," the woman said. As she turned to leave, something in her hardened expression softened momentarily as she looked at Nova. "You're lucky, kiddo. If you go in that direction, you might find someone willing to help you." She pointed toward the middle district, showing a tiny hint of empathy.

"T-thank you, lady!" Nova beamed up at her with carefully crafted innocence. His mask was close to slipping, but it was crafted with experience and skill.

"... Yeah, whatever."

Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

[Assess activated.]

'Hmm, Soul Power of 150. Why is someone like that kidnapping kids?'

She started jogging away, descending a stairway deeper into the lower district. Nova shifted his attention to the man, considering what to do with him.

'Soul Power of 100… The guards in the castle were way weaker than these guys, so why the fuck are they doing crime instead of something useful?'

[Fragment of Nova Noctis equipped.]

The air around them grew heavy as Nova let his childlike facade drop. "Tell me, why do you live this way? Taking children from their parents and selling them to their deaths? Is it the feeling of power?"

The man stared at Nova, shocked by the sudden change in his demeanor. Then he froze in place, completely unable to move.

"Ah, apologies." Nova's voice carried the cold precision of a master assassin. "My killing intent is acting up. Or can you feel my Soul Power? I should have asked before equipping this soul."

The man's body trembled violently, primal fear radiating from him in waves as he faced death in the form of a child. "T-tha… w-we," he stammered, unable to get a single word out. And then it was too late.

[You have learned the skill: Silver Skewer Fist (Master - 29%) {Grade 5}]

[Your hand becomes sharp and firm like a dagger, allowing you to pierce flesh with ease.]

A sharp intake of breath was all the man managed as Nova's hand found its mark. He crumpled to the filthy cobblestones, dead before he hit the ground. The only sign of harm was a small hole in his chest, no larger than a pebble and leaking just a few drops of blood.

[Gained soul of Nolan Corwick.]

Nova flicked his hand to the side, getting rid of the blood. He turned toward the direction the woman had taken, still sensing her position. His muscles coiled before he launched onto the nearest roof, starting his hunt.

'One down, and already a hundred Soul Power. This will be easier than I thought.'

"Boss, why are we gathering here? Will you tell us what's happening already?" The question echoed through the vast warehouse space, where fifty or so of Nihil's most trusted lieutenants had gathered. They represented only the tip of his criminal empire—the captains who each commanded hundreds of their own followers throughout the city's darkest corners.

Nihil stood on the raised loading bay, looking out at his most trusted underlings. However, that didn't mean much. "... A big fish has arrived. I want everyone to stick together for a while until I've spoken to him. And hopefully, this gathering will lure him out."

"... But what does he want?" asked one of his veterans, a man who controlled most of the northern dock's protection rackets.

"Souls. And I'm pretty sure he won't mind killing a few street rats to get them." Nihil's eyes swept across his assembled leadership. "At least not before he learns the rules."

Metal hinges creaked as a side door opened, revealing a young woman absently spinning a dagger between her fingers. She timidly walked toward the crowd and looked up at Nihil with clear respect.

"Nice of you to join us, Karla." Nihil's voice carried just enough warmth to show her status among his people.

"... Sorry boss, but what are we supposed to do now? The castle won't buy our wares anymore?"

"Let me worry about that." His eyes fixed on a point in the shadows behind her. "I see you brought a friend as well. Care to introduce us?"

"What?"

"You can sense me? I'm impressed." A raspy voice drifted from the darkness, causing an immediate shift in the room's atmosphere. Every lieutenant tensed, grabbing their weapons as they searched for the source.

Nihil's lips twisted into a knowing smile, recognizing the voice instantly. "Of course! We've already met twice. Would you mind staying away from my people?"

"... The bodyguard. No wonder..." The shadows seemed to deepen as Nova spoke. "I would mind a bit, but if you intend to retaliate, it would be in my best interest to stay away."

"I do, and I think I know your weakness better than you know mine. So let's stay clear of each other, right?"

"... I've already killed one. Whoever Karla talked to last."

The color drained from Karla's face as she spun toward Nihil, hands raised. "I didn't know, I swear! Nolan told me I could find you here, and–"

Nihil silenced her with a raised hand. "It's fine. I expected to lose more people by this time." His attention returned to the shadows. "That will be the final one, is that clear?"

"... Is there a way to identify you?"

"If someone looks like they would kidnap children or steal money from beggars, that's a safe bet. Or you could look for this tattoo." He pulled back his sleeve, revealing a dense black symbol on his forearm—a maze of overlapping letters that seemed to shift in the warehouse's dim light. "And there are also shops under my control, all adorned with this symbol by the front door."

"Fine, I'll stay clear. But seeing a kidnapping or any harming of children will void the deal." Nova's voice hardened. "If that's not acceptable, we might as well duke it out right here."

"... You hear that, everyone?" Nihil's eyes swept across his assembled lieutenants. "Kids are off-limits."

A chorus of agreements filled the warehouse, some eager, others reluctant. Each leader knew they would have to spread this new rule through their own networks, affecting thousands of criminals across Collport.

Nihil looked back into the shadows, unable to see even a hint of the assassin, Noctis. "Your employer was ecstatic about your cure, by the way. I think you can expect him to keep his side of the deal."

"I'm glad she's feeling better. I should be going."

"What would you say to teaming up, Noctis?"

"... With you?"

Nihil sensed a hint of what seemed to be masterfully contained disgust in those words, but he had no way to know for sure. "Yeah, we're both better off sticking together than going it alone, right?"

"... I'm tempted to attack you right now, saving myself the future trouble of dodging the dagger aiming for my back."

Nihil put his hands up, preferring not to provoke the man. Despite his superior Soul Power, something about Noctis made his combat instincts scream warnings. "Fine, you stick to yours, I stick to mine. Don't expect us to become law-abiding citizens, though."

"... Let me give you a tip, then." The voice seemed to come from everywhere at once. "If I have my way, there won't be room for your kind in this city anymore."

"Don't threaten me, Noctis!" Nihil shouted as his right hand clutched the sword at his hip. The moment it touched his palm, darkness began seeping from the blade like oil on water. The warehouse's shadows deepened, responding to his power.

The voice did not sound threatened at all by his display, turning icy and sharp. "What better way to gather souls than a place like this? How confident are you?"

"... Why did it have to be a righteous prick?" Nihil muttered, slowly releasing his grip on the sword. The shadows retreated as he did, returning the warehouse to its normal dimness. "Send me a bastard and I'll handle it, but these fucking peacekeepers drive me insane."

"Good choice," the voice responded after Nihil released his weapon. "The deal stands, but it won't stand forever. Do with that what you will…"

Nihil released a long breath, sensing that the presence in the shadows was gone. He knew it wouldn't be the last time they clashed, but he hoped it would be years before next time.

The tension in the room began to dissipate, though Nihil's lieutenants remained on edge, having witnessed their leader back down for perhaps the first time in memory.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.