Chapter 2: Eyes like the azure moon.

Translated and Edited by: luccayn.

If you’re enjoying it, be sure to click on the Like button and comment to let me know!

T/N: Dark and Darkness will be used interchangeably on purpose from now on.

---

No man wanders the Forest of Bewitching Trees at night. However, being alone amidst the hustle and bustle of the town was unbearable, so I broke that saying.

Monsters of the Dark attribute awaken when the sun goes down. During dark nights, the faint moonlight is the only ally for the poor souls that roam these woods. But even that was limited; if one tried, they would still find trees blocking most of their vision and way.

Even the most robust of adventurers would be forced to endure the struggle of fighting in the dark, which proved to be several times more difficult than when battling creatures under the sun’s comfort.

—But none of that concerned me.

“Reiss’ assassination technique: Invisibility,” I chanted, thinning and spreading my innate Dark attribute into a cloak, enveloping my entire body.

My family is a famous assassin clan in the underworld. From infancy, I was subjected to rigorous and gut-wrenching training in order to fill in their shoes. Hence, my Invisibility was far beyond the simple detection monsters in this forest possessed.

Walking further into the thicket, I adjusted the spread and my dark magic in order to assimilate with the surrounding nature. Blending in, it was as if I had been swallowed by the wind, becoming part of it as I traversed the woods.

The gentle breeze quietly rustled my hair, and the woody scent of the forest brought a homely feel to an otherwise dangerous place. It would be peaceful if not for the massive gray bear that crossed paths with me.

Weaving through the gaps in the trees, guided by the pale moonlight, I headed toward my destination.

I braved the uninhabited wilderness with poise. As a trained assassin with heightened night vision, there were no obstacles that would pose a threat to me.

“Heave, ho!”

Deactivating my Invisibility, I swiftly climbed atop a towering giant tree. With movements as vigorous as those, it was unlikely that the spell I just deactivated would end up deceiving the creatures of the woods.

Nevertheless, I managed to reach my destination. right at the heart of the Forest of Bewitching Trees, there was an open clearing with a spring at its center. Right beside it stood the oldest, tallest tree. That was my destination, my bed for tonight.

Bathed in the gentle and enveloping moonlight, I slowly closed my eyes. It must have been over a year since I last slept like this.

Back when I was at the estate of the Reiss assassin clan, I would sometimes sleep just like this… Especially during times of distress, or when I wanted to sleep alone.

In the quiet forest near my old home, where no one else would be present, I’d gaze up at the big blue moon above and bask in its soft light. It brought me comfort, and I recall always drifting off peacefully to its hue.

—Snap!

“Hmm…?” After who knows how long, I woke up to faint sounds and a presence nearby.

My old training-induced me to always sleep lightly, allowing me to quickly respond to any emergency.

“Sensory Enhancement,” I temporarily concentrated the magic flowing through my body into three points: using my eyes, ears, and nose, I swiftly assessed the situation.

The surroundings were still dim, and night hadn’t fully given way to dawn. From beneath the tree I called bed, I could hear a repetitive sound of lapping water. Beasts, my nostrils detected.

Looking further down, I saw a pack of magical wolves quenching their thirst by the spring. They were ferocious creatures that would immediately attack upon seeing a person.

Yet, when observing them from my safe vantage point, they appeared strangely similar to ordinary animals.

As I leisurely gazed at nature playing its course, the magical wolves each let out a cry. Immediately, they stopped drinking and turned to look behind.

Having sensed that presence even before the wolves had, I, too, turned my gaze toward the source. Appearing before the creatures was a girl a bit younger than me, draped in tattered rags unfit for being called a cloak.

Even from afar, I could see the grime stuck to her tan skin, and the unkemptness of her long silver hair floating to the breeze. However, what stuck out to me were her eyes—deep and blue, captivating as the moon that soothed me to sleep.

Swiftly, the girl’s right hand extended forward, and the breeze turned to a gust as magic swirled around her. Then, the underside of her billowing cloak was exposed.

There, her tan skin lay mostly bare. Under the rags, a cloth wrapped modestly to cover only the most essential parts, revealing red markings etched all over her delicate body.

It finally clicked and words unknowingly slipped out of my mouth.

“That girl, she has the same Dark attribute I do…?! And those features, could it be—A Cursemaker?!”

Almost in unison with my words, the wolves all roared, revealing their fierce nature. They charged at the small girl at once.

---

Thank you for reading! Feel free to comment your opinions below!

Also, if you enjoyed my translation and would like to feed my caffeine addiction, click on the button below and graciously give me my fix—I mean, a cup of coffee.