209 Chapter 209: Dark Invitation (1/2)

”…so they still have quite a few bugs to iron out before they can finally call the spirits to this dimension to establish the contract, huh?”

Shun Yin sighed wearily. He found himself quite lost in the trio's discussions as they argued back and forth the best way to trigger a safe Emergence event. They ended up compromising by trying out all three methods, but each failed spectacularly.

”The project is still in its infancy,” Tenshi had told him, not at all discouraged by their lack of success. ”It's only natural that we won't be able to find a way yet.”

”Okay…then call me when you need me.”

Honestly, Shun Yin didn't want to waste too much time idling away in the lab, listening to the three researchers argue, debate and run experiments. He was completely out of his depth, and would much rather spend his time training his magic than sitting around doing nothing.

Tenshi had understood his troubles and agreed, much to his relief. They had exchanged contact information, which made it easy for the research team to call him up whenever they needed. Until then, Shun Yin was going to do whatever he wanted.

Which was to train.

”I should go to Master's dojo.” It was still early in the evening, and Shun Yin planned on grabbing a sparring session or two before he went home. He wanted to grow stronger, after all. Especially after hearing what Gabriel said about the summoning spell requiring large amounts of mana, he was determined to become powerful enough to handle it.

That was the only reason why they consulted a combat division student like him, after all. Only by working together could everyone grow stronger together. Everyone had a part to play. The moment one cog was missing, the whole machine would fall apart.

Still, Shun Yin was intrigued. Just what kind of spirit did Tenshi and the others encounter? They were being vague about it, most likely because they didn't know themselves. Shun Yin hoped it wasn't a monster in disguise.

Now that would be a disaster.

That wasn't the only reason. After conversing with Glen, Shun Yin realized that he had some ways to go before he could reach the level of the legendary Porter princess. Even though he wasn't in the same class as her, he had heard enough rumors to finally be able to discern her identity. He had his suspicions, of course, but it wasn't until he overheard his classmates gossiping that he was finally able to confirm his thoughts.

Angelica Porter was attending Vermillion High as well.

Shun Yin hadn't seen her yet, but he was sure of it. And he vowed to catch up to her someday, or even surpass her…to become a man worthy of standing at her side. A hero who earned the recognition of not just the one he loved but also her entire clan.

”Hu…”

Exhaling, he continued along the pathway. The sun was slowly setting over the horizon, and the streets were now deserted. Most of the students had already gone home, with the exception being the research students who often worked late into the night, obsessed with their projects. Either way, Shun Yin found himself traversing the route during a time when there was no one else around.

For a moment, he felt a chill run down his back. It wasn't that he feared being alone, but he just found the complete absence of other people creepy. His gut crawled, his instincts warning him that something was not right.

Where was everybody? Even taking the time into consideration, it was impossible for the streets to be so empty. There had to be at least two or three other students who coincidentally went home during this time. The staff, in particular, usually worked until evening. Yet he saw no sign of the teachers.

Something was not right here.

It was with this thought in mind when Shun Yin finally saw another person. Relief filled him as he approached a man in a suit complete with a tie and inner vest, not to mention a pair of polished leather shoes. He lowered his head politely in greeting while the man smiled in a friendly manner.

”Good evening,” the man greeted him with a grin. ”Are you going home from school?”

”That's right,” Shun Yin replied. There was no reason to hide the fact. He was heading away from the direction of Vermillion High and dressed in the uniform. The badge was too conspicuous and visible that anyone could tell that he was from the school. As a show of good manners, he was obliged to continue the conversation. Taking note of the man's attire, he offered an enquiry of his own. ”Are you going home from work?”

”Yes, that's right.” The man chuckled and made a show of stifling a yawn. ”It's been a long day at work.”

”It's been hard on you.” Shun Yin nodded. The man appeared to be the typical salaryman, judging from his expensive suit and tie. He had heard about the long work hours that salarymen were subject to, and felt a twinge of sympathy.

Then he noticed that the man was empty-handed. He carried no bag or suitcase, his hands tucked into his pockets.

Shun Yin's sense of danger rose. Doubly so when he noticed something strange while walking past the salaryman.

The man left no footprints. Even though the ground was littered with scattered pink Sakura petals, the man left no trail or sign that he had been walking through them. The salaryman continued walking without a sound, even though his shoes should have been crunching the leaves and Sakura petals. Yet there wasn't even a single noise or footstep produced by his casual movements. There wasn't even a shadow cast by the man, almost as if he was a hallucination.

There was only one explanation. This man was…

Swoosh!

Without any hesitation, Shun Yin spun around and slashed at the salaryman with his sword.

”!!”

However, the salaryman merely caught his blade with his fingers. With a sly grin, he stopped Shun Yin's sword a few centimeters away from his body.

”Whoa there. That's quite the greeting.”

”You…are an Assassin, aren't you?”

”From the Umbra Sect,” the salaryman affirmed, still smiling. ”And I thought I was being so careful. What gave me away?”

”A normal salaryman doesn't walk like you,” Shun Yin pointed out with a frown. ”Without making a single sound…and you have no shadow.”

”Ah…I admit, that was a mistake on my part.” The Assassin sighed and shook his head sheepishly. ”Forgive me, I'm not used to how normal people move. As you can probably tell, I hardly have any interaction with the outside world.”

He then yanked Shun Yin's sword toward himself, pulling the high school student toward him. Shun Yin reacted quickly by spinning around and kicking the Assassin in the gut, but he merely blocked the former's foot with his elbow.