Chapter 52: Chapter 52: The Calm Before The Storm (part 1)

The moment the door creaked open, all three of them turned.

“Boss?… Welcome back, you didn’t returned yesterday, we thought something bad happened.”

Harlan was the first to stand. His eyes were sharp despite the late hour.

Behind him, his two younger brothers straightened up immediately.

Aiden stepped into the light, pulling back his hood.

Harlan searched his face for a second before asking, “Boss… it’s a mission success?”

Aiden paused just long enough to make them wait.

Then he nodded.

“Yes.”

The tension in the room broke instantly.

Kain let out a breath he’d clearly been holding. Reth grinned wide, slapping Harlan lightly on the shoulder.

Harlan himself smiled, but there was relief in it more than excitement. “I knew it,” he said. “If Boss went personally, there was no way it would fail.”

Aiden walked toward the table and sat down heavily in one of the chairs.

Without a word, Aiden reached into his coat and pulled out a small pouch. He loosened the string and turned it upside down.

Clink. Clink. Clink.

Ten gold coins spilled onto the wooden table, gleaming under the lamplight.

The three brothers froze.

“Boss…” Reth muttered. “That’s…”

“Ten gold,” Harlan finished quietly.

Aiden leaned back in his chair.

“Go,” he said. “Find something expensive. Meat. Wine. Whatever the best tavern still has. We’ll celebrate tonight.”

Kain blinked. “Now? It’s already—”

Aiden said calmly. “There are always places still open. And if they’re closed, wake them up.”

Harlan stared at the coins for a second longer before scooping them up carefully.

“You heard him,” he said to his brothers. “Move.”

The two hurried out immediately, pulling on cloaks as they went.

Harlan paused at the door and looked back. “Boss… everything went smoothly?”

Aiden met his gaze.

“Yes, it went perfectly,” he said simply.

Harlan studied him for a brief moment, then nodded and just waiting patiently.

The hall grew quiet again.

Aiden sat at the table, the oil lamp crackling softly. He closed his eyes for a second, feeling the steady flow of mana inside him. Stronger than before. He could still feel the heavy presence of his newest summon resting somewhere beyond sight, bound to him completely.

Level 11.

A faint smile tugged at his lips.

—-

Less than half an hour later, hurried footsteps echoed outside. The door swung open, and cold night air rushed in along with the smell of roasted meat and strong wine.

“We’re back!” Kain announced, slightly out of breath.

They carried bundles wrapped in cloth, steam still rising from inside. One of them held two sealed jars of wine.

Reth walked in last, shutting the door behind him with his foot.

“You were right,” he said, setting everything down on the table. “The Golden Ox Tavern was still open. Well… open after we knocked hard enough.”

Kain laughed. “The owner wasn’t happy.”

“But he was happier after seeing the gold,” the youngest added.

They began unwrapping the food, roasted lamb glazed with honey and herbs, skewered meat dripping with fat, fresh bread still warm, and even a small box of candied fruits.

For a moment, the dark, secretive hall didn’t feel like a hideout.

It felt like home.

Harlan poured wine into rough clay cups and handed one to Aiden first.

“To Boss,” he said.

The other two raised their cups immediately. “To Boss!”

Aiden looked at them, three brothers who had chosen to follow him without fully knowing what he was becoming.

He lifted his cup slightly.

“To growth,” he said.

They clinked their cups together, the soft sound echoing in the quiet hall.

—-

The next morning, Aiden was already sitting inside the Bone Contract Hall before the sun fully rose.

The table in front of him was clean, a fresh sheet of parchment laid out neatly. The oil lamp had been replaced, and the faint smell of roasted meat from the night before still lingered in the air.

He waited.

Customers started coming not long after.

A man with a scar across his cheek wanted a rival merchant gone. A thin woman in a dark veil requested the death of her gambling-addicted husband. Two brothers came in whispering about a land dispute that had turned bloody.

All ordinary grudges.

All ordinary targets.

Aiden listened to every request calmly, asking the right questions, adjusting prices depending on difficulty. But one thing became clear very quickly.

There were no body-tempering practitioners among the targets.

No cultivators.

Just normal fighters. Thugs. Guards-for-hire. Fake martial artists.

Easy work.

For the next few days, Aiden became busy.

Very busy.

At night, he moved through the city like a shadow. Silent streets. Dark alleys. Quick deaths. Clean escapes.

He didn’t even need to summon his stronger undead most of the time. A single bone spear was enough. Sometimes he didn’t use any skill at all, just careful planning and timing.

Each mission was completed efficiently. No witnesses. No noise.

The three brothers barely saw him during those days. He would return late, drop off confirmation items or proof of completion, rest for a few hours, then leave again before dawn.

Three days passed like that.

Money piled up steadily. Their reputation inside the underground circles began to rise. More clients came knocking.

But outside their quiet hall, the city was anything but calm.

The news of the head captain’s death still hadn’t died down.

If anything, it had grown worse.

Rumors spread faster than before. Some said he had been assassinated by a rival city. Others claimed a hidden sect had made a move. A few whispered about dark arts and wandering demons, though most people laughed those off as drunken nonsense.

Still, patrols had doubled.

Guards moved in larger groups now. Curfews were being discussed. The eastern district remained tense, merchants closing earlier than usual.

The City Lord had not made any public announcement.

No funeral.

No confirmation of death.

Just silence.

One afternoon, as Aiden sat inside the hall flipping through a new request, he could hear distant shouting from the main road. Guards questioning travelers again.

He leaned back in his chair, expression calm.

Business was good.

But the city was on edge.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep