Chapter 404: Test for Himself
All the Fingers followed Aldrian to an area near the mansion that had a small forest. This forest surrounded the mansion, acting as a barrier between it and the rest of the city’s residential areas. Because of this, the mansion remained secluded despite being located within the city. They stood at the forest’s edge, wondering why Aldrian had brought them there. As they watched, he turned to face them.
"I’ve heard of the reputation of the Nine Fingers of the Thunderous Shadow Pavilion and couldn’t help but want to experience it firsthand. The forest before you will serve as the site for that."
Then, he continued, "You will try to kill me inside the forest. Use everything you have—don’t hold back."
Aldrian turned his gaze toward Arson Vuran. "That includes you."
Hearing Aldrian’s words, all of them were astonished. Even Arson looked at him with a strange expression. What is it this time? Why would his master do something like this?
To be honest, he was also curious about his master’s ability to defend himself against assassination attempts. They had all heard of Aldrian’s overwhelming prowess in direct combat, so much so that Arson believed even if he and the other Fingers worked together, they would ultimately fail to take him down.
But assassination was different. It relied on clever and cunning methods to eliminate a target. The victim often wouldn’t even realize death was upon them—sometimes, they wouldn’t even realize they were already dead.
The Third to Ninth Fingers turned to Arson, waiting for his command. But he simply glanced back at them before speaking.
"You heard him. Kill him with everything you’ve got. I don’t care how you do it—just follow the master’s orders."
He didn’t understand what Aldrian intended, but he would act accordingly.