Hitman with a Badass System
chapter-1024

The evening sky was adorned with dark rain clouds, casting a gloomy hue over the horizon. Thunder rumbled in the distance, accompanied by intermittent flashes of lightning that illuminated the vast canyon below. The air was charged with anticipation as if nature itself sensed the impending storm.

Amidst this atmospheric display, Evan soared through the turbulent skies toward the Kingdom of Bredia. His mind was consumed with worry for Victoria, his beloved, who had been taken hostage by the treacherous Dark Queen. Determined to ensure her safety, Evan focused all his energy on reaching her side.

As he flew, a thought crossed Evan's mind — seeking help from Salesi, the former Queen of Nagaland. He knew that Salesi possessed great knowledge and powers that could potentially dispel the poison coursing through Victoria's veins. However, the fear of endangering Victoria's life prevented him from reaching out to Salesi. He believed that if he exposed the situation to Salesi, the Dark Lord might activate the poison and bring harm to Victoria.

In his heart, Evan harbored conflicting emotions. On one hand, he desired to save Victoria at any cost. On the other hand, he felt compelled to keep the truth hidden to protect her from further harm.

Salesi observed Evan using a glass orb while floating above Victoria's mansion as Evan made his way toward this mansion in Kingdom Bredia. She blended seamlessly with the dark clouds hovering high in the sky while keeping a close eye on the scene below.

The mansion stood proudly, a grand structure amidst the chaos. Its walls were adorned with intricate designs, a testament to the wealth and opulence of its inhabitants. But the tranquility of the mansion grounds had been shattered, replaced by the remnants of a fierce battle.

Lifeless bodies of soldiers lay scattered across the ground, their armors cracked open, and bodies riddled with multiple wounds. Arrows, sharp and deadly, had found their mark, leaving visible holes in the fallen soldiers' forms. The once pristine mansion ground was now stained with the vivid red of spilled blood, a chilling testament to the violence that had unfolded.

The grandeur of the estate had been marred by destruction. Fountains stood broken, their gentle streams replaced by a solemn silence. Statues, once graceful and elegant, now bore the scars of combat, their delicate features chipped and broken.

Hovering behind Salesi was a peculiar figure—a humanoid body with the majestic head of an eagle. This unique creature, known as Stormwing, was one of Salesi's secretive henchmen, adept at carrying out her clandestine tasks.

"Stormwing, Evan has been compromised," Salesi's voice rang out with an icy tone, her gaze piercing. The evidence pointed clearly to the Dark Queen's involvement, considering the soldiers in the mansion had been mercilessly slain. The Dark Queen's signature aerial assault left no chance for the soldiers to fight back. Yet, she had spared Victoria's life, leaving strategic leverage against Evan, Victoria's betrothed.

Stormwing, being no stranger to intelligence, understood the situation without requiring further explanation. It was evident that the Dark Queen intended to strike a bargain with Evan, exploiting his emotional ties to Victoria.

"My lady, how would you like me to handle Evan? It poses a challenge since you have elevated him to the status of a god," Stormwing voiced, its rough voice reflecting its beastly nature.

Salesi shook her head in response to Stormwing's suggestion. "You are mistaken, Stormwing. The god-killing arrows, even if retrieved by Noah, can only slay either him or the Dark Lord. They are single-use weapons, unable to be replicated or merged into a new form. Once the Dark Lord perishes, the arrows themselves will cease to exist," Salesi revealed. Through the information shared by the evil version of Andreas, now merged with Noah, Salesi had gained insights into the true nature of the god killing arrows.

However, unknown to Noah and the majority of beings in the realm of gods, there was no universal weapon capable of slaying all gods. Each god possessed unique characteristics and vulnerabilities, making it impossible for a single weapon to be effective against all of them. The details surrounding the forging of the god-killing arrows by Qin Jiu and her companions remained a mystery to most gods. In fact, the pantheon deliberately kept the existence of such powerful weapons concealed from many gods to prevent widespread panic within the realm.

Salesi had her suspicions regarding Qin Jiu's methods. She believed that Qin Jiu had utilized her time travel abilities to uncover ancient texts, delving into forgotten knowledge on how to craft the arrows capable of vanquishing the Dark Lord. Given that the Dark Lord and Noah, the God of Light, were born as twins in the mortal realm, the god-killing arrows held the potential to eliminate either of them. If Salesi's understanding of the pantheon proved accurate, she surmised that the pantheon must possess a means to subdue each individual god within their realm, should any god rebel against their rule. However, the details of such methods remained closely guarded secrets, even to Salesi herself.

"Then how do you propose we handle Evan, my lady? The longer we allow Evan to roam freely, the greater the potential damage he can inflict upon our entire operation," stated Stormwing, observing the calculating smile that crept across Salesi's face.

"If Evan has indeed struck a deal with the Dark Lord, his actions will undoubtedly revolve around the life of Victoria. The Dark Lord will undoubtedly use Victoria as a pawn to manipulate Evan into carrying out his bidding. However, if we eliminate this pawn, Victoria, the Dark Lord's hold over Evan will crumble. Evan is a valuable asset that we cannot afford to let slip away," explained Salesi. Stormwing, who had served under Salesi for many years, recognized the shrewd and cunning aura emanating from her words. He understood that Salesi's every action held deeper meaning and intricate plans.

Many believed that it was Salesi's leadership that brought about the decline of Nagaland, even her stepdaughter Gaya. However, only a select few, such as Stormwing, knew that the decline of Nagaland was actually part of Salesi's grand design. For years, Stormwing and his team had carried out covert operations, targeting key figures within Nagaland and its allies, effectively weakening the kingdom from within. By destabilizing Nagaland, Salesi removed it from the equation and eliminated a formidable ally that the Dark Lord could have exploited. Salesi's strategic moves ensured that the Dark Lord had no interest in claiming Nagaland for himself.

Presently, Salesi was utilizing Nagaland's hidden reserves of poisonous veins to produce potent poison weapons, which would prove crucial in the impending war against the Dark Lord.

"Eliminate Victoria, Stormwing. Make it appear as though her death is accidental. If the Dark Lord truly struck a deal with Evan, we cannot orchestrate her demise to make it seem like the Dark Lord was responsible. It would raise suspicions and Evan might grow wary. However, if her death appears to be an unfortunate accident, the Dark Lord will lose his hold over Evan. This will enable Evan to focus his energies on defeating the Dark Lord's army, without the distraction of his fiancee. I can channel his grief and anger towards our advantage," Salesi coldly commanded Stormwing, instructing him to kill Victoria.

While Salesi was aiding Noah in collecting the god-killing arrows, she was well aware that two of the arrows were already in possession of the Dark Lord. Hence, Noah would require all the support he could muster to retrieve those arrows during their eventual confrontation. Salesi was also confident that the Dark Lord would spare no effort in his fight against Noah, amassing his formidable army. Therefore, she planned to allocate a portion of her own army, which she was currently amassing, to aid Noah in his battle. As Noah clashed with the Dark Lord, her forces would engage the Dark Lord's army, ensuring their destruction.

"When should this be carried out, my lady?" confidently inquired Stormwing. To him, staging a murder to appear as an accident was a simple task.

"Give Evan a few more days with Victoria, then carry out her demise next week," Salesi replied, displaying no remorse for her decision. In Salesi's mind, anyone could be sacrificed in the fight against the Dark Lord.

"Shall I take my leave, my lady?" inquired Stormwing, bowing his head slightly.

"Hmm," Salesi responded as Stormwing unfurled his majestic gray wings and took flight. With a single powerful flap, he soared through the dark clouds, swiftly disappearing from sight.

Once Stormwing had departed, Salesi retrieved a glowing silver orb from her pocket. The orb emanated a pulsating golden light from its core.

"What is it, Andreas?" Salesi questioned, addressing the glowing orb.

"We have a problem. Noah's bitchy little sister, Sabrina, is on her way to dissuade him from engaging in battle with the Dark Lord. Something must be done," Andreas informed.

"Noah will not heed her words. We don't need to intervene but rather redirect Sabrina to see the Dark Lord. If we're fortunate, Sabrina's presence may dampen the Dark Lord's eagerness to fight Noah, serving as an advantage for us. When Sabrina arrives to meet Noah, instruct her to visit the dark castle," Salesi instructed.

"I don't believe it's a wise decision. What if the Dark Lord attempts to manipulate Sabrina for his own purposes? Have you forgotten who we are dealing with—the Dark Lord himself?" Andreas growled, expressing his concerns. However, Salesi remained composed.

"Do as I say, Andreas. The battle between Noah and the Dark Lord is inevitable. We simply need to ensure Noah emerges victorious," Salesi declared firmly, clenching the orb in her hand and shattering it into pieces.

As the impending battle between the Dark Lord and Noah drew near, Salesi had important matters to attend to, one of which was the mass production of various pills and potions for her army. To accomplish this, Salesi sought out the current renowned alchemist in the world, Olivia Palmer, who coincidentally happened to be the Dark Lord's former disciple.

Salesi had been closely monitoring Olivia's activities ever since Ghost revealed himself as the Dark Lord, which led to Olivia severing her ties with him. Based on Salesi's information and intelligence network, Olivia was no longer affiliated with the Dark Lord. However, she still possessed the knowledge and teachings he had imparted to her in the field of alchemy. Salesi planned to leverage Olivia's expertise and enlist her aid in supporting Noah's battle against the Dark Lord and his formidable army.