Master Assassin of the Ronan

Chapter 31. Invitation to the Black Dream Forest (4)

Connected to the banquet hall building, there was a small building designated for the participants.

All the participants went inside and anxiously awaited the break of dawn.

“I’m sleepy. It doesn’t seem like they’ll let us get any sleep, though.”

Hamil rubbed his eyes as he spoke.

“Heh, seeing you complaining about sleep, I guess we know who’s getting eliminated first.”

“Even if I get eliminated, don’t worry—I’ll definitely take you with me.”

Hamil and Kun glared at each other.

Then Kun turned his head towards Rubin.

“Rubin, should I make a recommendation? I thought of a Ronan perfect for you.”

Each family had already assessed potential Ronans. So, it was certain they’d already decided who would be the primary Ronan target for each person.

“Our family has a rather decent retainer who recently received Ronenser qualification. His name is Kuze Martin, and he’d suit you well.”

Kun chuckled as he spoke.

It was sarcasm, not a sincere recommendation.

Kuze Martin was the least likely to be chosen among the Ronan candidates.

Kuze, a retainer of Kun’s family, had recently failed several missions in a row.

Although he possessed the skills of a four-star rank and had all the virtues required of a Ronenser, earning the qualification, he had been labeled a failure in the Krokisson family due to his recent failures.

“And as for me, I’ll bring Bikandel from the Ronan family. Otherwise, Trikang or Burso would also be good.”

If Kuze was the lowest-ranked Ronan candidate, Bikandel was the opposite.

Bikandel, who had distinguished himself with outstanding achievements, was a retainer every family head wanted to bring in as a teacher for their children.

Trikang and Burso were also skilled retainers within the Ronan family.

“Bikandel is a well-rounded Ronan with strengths in every area. Trikang is specialized in stealth, and Burso in tracking.”

“Kun, could you stop now? I’ve held back long enough, and I can’t hold it in any longer! Should I tell the others here about how you were utterly humiliated by Young Master Rubin during the first selection?”

It was Hamil, who had been listening, who spoke up.

Hamil was the only one aware that Rubin had overwhelmed Kun in the previous test. The others still thought Rubin had won by luck.

“Shut up, you weak girl. This time will be different, so watch closely. I’ll crush both Rubin and you just the same!”

Kun shot to his feet. He was about to storm outside, but Rubin’s single remark brought him to an abrupt halt.

“I’ll seriously consider your advice.”

“What?”

“About bringing Kuze Martin as my Ronan.”

“Are you mocking me right now?”

“Since I’m going to come in first again, anyway. If I take the retainer you dislike, it seems like it might help balance out our skill gap.”

“Keep running your mouth, you bastard!”

Kun turned around and stomped toward Rubin, clearly ready for a fight, despite the family heads being in the banquet hall.

Hamil got up, ready to restrain Kun.

Just then, the door opened, and a voice intervened to stop Kun.

“Young Master, please stop. There’s nothing to gain from causing trouble before the test.”

It was Kuze, the retainer of the Krokisson family and the lowest-ranked Ronan candidate.

Behind him was Bikandel, who was tasked with Rubin’s protection.

“Is everything alright, Young Master Rubin?”

“It’s fine. Kun seemed a bit scared, so I was comforting him.”

“…I’ll see you at dawn, Rubin.”

Kun, filled with rage, stormed out.

Kuze followed him, but soon after, Kun’s curses could be heard echoing back.

“Get lost, you failure.”

Rubin watched the scene quietly.

Just before dawn, the nine participants began to walk down a dimly lit forest path. Each family head followed behind at a distance.

The further they ventured into the depths of the forest, the stronger the presence of Dark Ripple that filled the Black Dream Forest of Illusions became.

Thick fog settled heavily between the dense trees.

This fog, unique to this forest, had an ashy hue. However, unlike the fog in Elder Gillifield’s arboretum or at the Ronan estate, it was not toxic.

The footsteps of the family heads who were following the participants stopped.

“You’d do well to remember why this place is called the Forest of Illusions.”

It was the head of the Rainkroki family who spoke.

He continued.

“This is as far as we go. Now the participants will proceed alone.”

The children cautiously moved forward, leaving the family heads behind.

One of the family heads watching them spoke up.

“I wonder if any of the children will make it to the end.”

“We’ll have to wait and see. There are some exceptionally talented children among this group.”

Though chairs were prepared for the family heads to stay until the test concluded, most of them chose to wait standing.

The second selection was not a test that would take long.

It rarely lasted more than twenty minutes.

However, there was a time difference between the family heads’ location and the interior of the Black Dream Forest of Illusions—a tenfold difference.

In other words, while twenty minutes passed outside, two hundred minutes passed within.

Despite the Assassin Blade Family’s long history, the reason behind this time discrepancy remained a mystery.

“Two minutes have already passed. Soon, the first one should be eliminated.”

They watched as the children were gradually swallowed by the fog. And then, the first elimination occurred.

“Here they come!”

At the voice of the Rainkroki family head, the family heads gathered together.

Shiiiiing.

A scraping sound came from the ground as something approached, cutting through the dense fog before them.

It stopped in the middle of the family heads.

“Who is it?”

The family heads couldn’t immediately recognize the eliminated participant.

The child was wrapped from head to toe in thick spider silk, appearing as if encased in a cocoon the size of their own body.

“I’ll check.”

The Rainkroki family head drew a dagger and sliced through the silk cocoon binding the child.

As the silk split with a tearing sound, the child was revealed.

“Damn it!”

The Rainkroki family head cursed.

It happened to be his own son that he’d uncovered.

“The second elimination is coming.”

The family heads turned their heads.

Once again, a cocoon, this time slightly larger, came approaching through the fog. The family heads watched intently, curious as to who would be next.

Before the Rainkroki family’s participant was bound in the spider’s silk cocoon and carried out,

the children, unaware of what lay ahead, continued walking through the dense, ashy fog.

They were unaware that the flow of time differed inside the forest, only thinking that quite a lot of time had passed.

“Aren’t you cold?”

Someone remarked, but the response contradicted them.

“Cold? I’m way too hot right now.”

‘Those participants who haven’t awakened Dark Ripple… So, it’s already begun.’

While Rubin, Kun, and Hamil showed no signs of discomfort, the ordinary participants were beginning to falter, breathing heavily and swaying.

“Did you see it?”

“See what?”

“Just a moment ago, there was a huge thing over there….”

“Shut up, you idiots! I can’t stand this anymore!”

Kun, unable to hold back, charged forward.

He shoved the participants from the Kalkreed and Rainkroki families, causing them to fall to the ground.

“I thought that annoying Hamil would be the first to be eliminated, but turns out there are even weaker bastards here.”

Kun spat on the ground in disdain, while Hamil approached the two participants.

“Are you okay? The test hasn’t even started yet. We have to keep going.”

“Seeing things? Scared? Then get out of here right now.”

Kun sneered. However, once inside the Black Dream Forest of Illusions, escaping on foot was impossible.

“No. We all need to keep moving forward together.”

Rubin, who had been watching, spoke up.

“If even one person falls behind, the test won’t start. We all know this, right?”

Each participant would have been secretly informed by their family heads. Yet, in the merciless grip of the Black Dream Forest of Illusions, overcoming fear was up to each individual.

Eventually, the participants from the Kalkreed and Rainkroki families rose to their feet after Kun kicked at them.

After walking for a while longer,

“There’s a pond.”

Hamil pointed ahead.

It wasn’t an illusion; it was real.

The participants halted.

With a large pond suddenly appearing in their path, they couldn’t decide what to do. Should they walk around it, or step into it?

Just then, a rustling sound filled the surroundings, as if something with many legs was stirring.

And then came a chilling laughter.

“Participants, are you?”

The laughter echoed from the center of the pond.

‘That laugh… just as unpleasant as ever.’

A giant spider descended through the air, hanging from its web over the pond.

It was the queen of the Invitation Spiders and the master of the Black Dream Forest of Illusions.

“I just feel so delighted when I see little hatchling assassins.”

The Illusion Spider was so large that it occupied more than half the pond.

Hanging from its spider silk that extended from the sky, it swayed back and forth like a pendulum.

“Tick-tock, tick-tock. Now, it’s time to look into your memories. Come into the pond, every single one of you.”

As soon as she finished speaking, hundreds of spiders appeared out of nowhere and surrounded the children.

Sshaaa! Sshaaa!

The spiders let out rough cries as they separated the children, each leading them to the edge of the dark pond.

Each child stood in a position where only their ankles would be submerged.

Sshaaa! Sshaaa!

As the participants stood in their positions, the spiders shrieked in unison.

Their eyes, like thousands of glistening beads, shone eerily.

“Shall we begin?”

Without hesitation, the Illusion Spider’s massive body plunged deep into the pond.

Its movement was so eerie that it didn’t even create the smallest ripple on the water’s surface.

It was at that moment that the ‘second selection’ truly began.

“Ahhhhhh!”

“Aahh!”

Every child with their feet in the pond was pulled into its depths in an instant.