Assassination Concept's face showed as he listened to Gowther's deduction, and he reached for a piece of candy in front of him.
"Well done, dear Gowther McAteer. Good work and a perfect, amazing deduction for someone as ignorant as you."
Assassination Concept continued, ignoring Gowther's angry, resentful glare.
"Yes, these are the abilities granted by the Assassination Concept Wing. The higher the level of the Assassination Concept Wing, the more control you have over the narrative, the more abilities you are granted, and the fewer the requirements for a successful assassination."
Gowther's face showed astonishment as he listened to Assassination Concept's words, remembering what Leon had told him some time ago. Gowther decided to seize the opportunity to ask the questions that had been on his mind: "What happens when you reach level 5 of the Wing?"
Surprise appeared on Assassination Concept's face after hearing Gowther's question, yet he felt somewhat satisfied that he had proven himself He possesses mental strength and unwavering resolve.
"When a person reaches level 5 with their wing, they become capable of passing it on. However, the person who inherits a wing does not gain any of its powers. The best example is the Wing of the Blessing."
"As for other matters, such as knowing what happened to Boutaleb or the Great Outcast, if that's the right word, and what the catastrophe was, and why you remember what happened in our past lives, I will not answer. Is that clear to you?"
A look of annoyance crossed Gowther's face for several seconds before he remembered Boutaleb's words.
"Why are you shocked? We are, after all, just characters in a story. Also, get yourself together before your narrative is assassinated."
Gowther turned his gaze back to the concept of assassination with deep suspicion after remembering the Great Outcast's words.
"Did you assassinate me when I was talking to the Great Outcast? Yes or no?"
"You are rude in the way you speak, even though you are a part of me, you worthless creature."
"As for the matter of your assassination..." Narrative or not, yes, I assassinated you.
Gowther's expression shifted, a mixture of astonishment, shock, confusion, and disbelief at the ease with which the concept of assassination was admitted. This left him with a single question swirling in his mind:
"Why did you do it?"
A faint smile appeared on Assassination Concept's face as he placed a teacup on a saucer.
"The best way to know something is to taste it or experience it, right?"
"And then?" Gowther's gaze searched for any flaw in Assassination Concept's speech, but he found nothing odd. His manner of speaking was flawless, devoid of any detectable defects.
"The reason I assassinated you narratively was to make you better understand the power of Assassination Concept's wing."
"Because the best way to know how something works is to experience it or feel it, and the best way to know what your wing is like is to experience it for yourself, on yourself. Doesn't that make sense?"
"…" Gowther opened and closed his mouth for several seconds in shock at Assassination Concept's response. He then rubbed his temples while repeating Assassination Concept's words in his head.
The best ways to live are to experience, and the best ways to thrive are to work from experience.
The weak experiment, the strong learn, and the great use every experience. Yes, getting the best possible benefit.
"You're right, but it doesn't seem like you're the one who canceled the effect. My death is better for you than my existence. Through my death, you'll get two shards against one. It's like killing two birds with one stone, and you'll become stronger than you are. My point is valid."
"Moreover, I don't think an entity as powerful as you would be affected for long if it planned this a long time ago... a time exceeding billions of years. Isn't my point valid again?"
Stunned silence appeared on Assassination Concept's face as he listened to Gowther's conclusion, which accurately described a mistake of an extremely long time in just a few words.
"Wow, an amazing conclusion for someone as ignorant as you of what's going on in his world. However, what you're saying isn't entirely true. The narrative shards are in a governing path, meaning you and your companions haven't yet acquired their power, or rather, you haven't yet reached the awakening stage. Therefore, killing you won't benefit me at all; it will harm me more than help me, and your survival is more beneficial to me." And for us...
"As for removing the effect of the narrative assassination, yes, it wasn't me. It was Boutaleb or the Great Outcast who removed the effect from you. It's rather boring."
"Okay, let's get back to the important thing. Congratulations on reaching the rank of Boundless after 10 years of training to reach this high level. I congratulate you, but remember, you started with difficulty, and the foundation is now built. Now it's time to become stronger and evolve."
A slight sign of doubt appeared because something seemed strangely smooth. Gowther was certain of one thing, and he was sure of it: a raging hurricane was better than calm, still water because the most dangerous things reside in their most tranquility.
Even in the real world, the oceans most prone to disasters are naturally calm, and the most toxic and dangerous waters are excessively calm, containing germs and bacteria capable of killing hundreds of people with just a single sip.
Therefore, Gowther's doubt was logical. Nothing is smooth unless it is meticulously planned. That's why setbacks and sudden changes can happen; nothing is ever perfectly smooth unless there's something wrong or a trap being set to ensnare them.
An average strategist devises a plan to defeat or even their enemy, a skilled strategist creates a plan to defeat an enemy with minimal losses, and a seasoned strategist deceives their enemy into believing they've won by making things happen so smoothly that they lower their guard and increase their arrogance and pride, thus achieving a victory without incurring significant losses.
Humans, by nature, always prefer the easy way out. What is built in a day is destroyed in a day, and what is built in a hundred days is destroyed in a hundred days.
The easy path is beautiful, but it leads to bloodshed or nothing. An easy path without a summit is a path without a goal.
He who desires the summit walks a path of thorns with unwavering will and steely determination, while he who desires the bottom walks a path of flowers and roses.
Gowther walked a path of thorns with unwavering will and perseverance to reach the summit, not for responsibility, passion, or excitement, but because it was the only thing he could rely on. In a world where every step is fraught with a thousand calculations and death at every turn, life is a trap. It's like walking on a sword's edge; every step leads to death.
Throughout his life, which spanned 10 years, and 17 years of his previous life, he learned one thing: nothing comes easily. Anything that comes easily goes as easily as it came. Those who don't strive will not succeed.He succeeds, and he who does not sow will not reap what he sows.
A faint smile appeared on the face of the assassin as he noticed Gowther's gaze, which was filled with deep suspicion and caution.
This filled him with complete satisfaction to see one of his own shards possessing this mindset: that nothing comes easily.
That people lose their sense of self-worth when they compare themselves to others, and this is foolishness.
Everything in this world, whether fiction or reality, is perfect or has reached absolute perfection.
Because it doesn't exist, everyone is imperfect. Even the most beautiful people in appearance may be the most vile in essence, and the most vile in appearance may be the most beautiful in essence. Beauty is not physical beauty, but inner and mental beauty.
And even those who reach the highest levels of power in fiction, their fate is still tied to the pen of a writer or the finger that presses keys on a keyboard, to die because of the whim of their writers.
Gojo Satura from Jutsu Kaisen and Rengoku from Demon Slayer died because of the whim of their writers.
Gowther was aware of this; he had witnessed the deaths of fictional characters for trivial reasons in his lifetime.
In the past, he hadn't cared about it, but now it was different. He was a fictional character, and death lurked around every corner, due to the whims of a writer who could kill him for any reason or no convincing reason at all.
One dies with the conviction that they died for a purpose or something of value that makes their death meaningful. But knowing that your death is a whim of a writer, or merely a means to keep a story going, is a completely different matter. Even the greatest endings become meaningless, and the greatest beginnings trivial.
Gowther feared being just a drop in the ocean of an endless narrative. Fear isn't a flaw, but the flaw lies in the one who sees it. People don't understand each other's feelings; that's why all the meanings and terms that encompass the human mind, or any conscious entity with a sound mind—such as superficiality, good, evil, love, hate—are relative and change according to the situation.
There is no stability in them. If a villain is killed once, he becomes a hero; if he is killed merely for amusement, he becomes a villain. And here, the perspective on killing changes accordingly. The situation and the reason, however, remain the same: murder is murder, and a murderer is a murderer, whether the victim is good or evil.
A deep sigh escaped Gowther's lips as he looked towards Assassination Concept after gathering his scattered thoughts.
"Is that all, really... just to congratulate me?"
"Is there something else you want to say or do? You didn't drag me here to congratulate me. If that's the case, wouldn't it seem rather ridiculous if you thought about it from several angles?" There was a hint of sarcasm in Gowther's voice as he looked at Assassination Concept, who was eating pieces of candy and didn't seem to care about Gowther's mockery.
He was simply ignoring him because he knew from the beginning that Gowther would say that. After all, he was an integral part of him; how could he not know what was going on in his mind?
"Yes, you're right. There's something we have to do. Consider it just a formality, okay?" Assassination Concept spoke with a tone that was both sarcastic and serious.
This made the situation seem strange, but at the time... The same thing made Gowther feel somewhat relieved.
However, he was still uneasy because what he'd said was merely a matter of protocol, a natural procedure from his perspective. This didn't mean it would be easy for him.
What a person naturally finds impossible—like destroying or creating worlds, manipulating concepts and laws—Gowther finds easy and natural. Similarly, what he finds easy and commonplace, Gowther might find impossible.
"No, no, don't worry. It will be easy for you. I'll just open part of a seal on you." The concept of assassination pulled Gowther out of his reverie and eased his inner turmoil, as he understood what was going on inside him.
He was aware that excessive anxiety could often lead to death because some things require confidence and self-control to overcome.
"Hahaha, okay. When do we start?" Gowther said calmly, sipping the cup of tea in front of him without saying anything else.
"I'd better..." Sometimes, accepting something is necessary... We'll begin now.
"That's why it's best if we prepare a place."
A slight look of confusion crossed his face as he sipped his tea while listening to Assassination Concept's words, but he decided to remain silent.
Assassination Concept snapped his fingers, and the world transformed once again from a beautiful garden to a hall that appeared to be used for rituals.
In the center of the base, several engravings formed a disc containing an assassin with two daggers against his chest, forming an X.
As Gowther gazed at the center of the base,
he murmured softly, summoning his Status window to check his progress. "Status."
A transparent crimson-red system appeared on the screen as soon as Gowther said "Status," displaying his complete information.
[Name: Gowther
Nickname: McTair
Age: 16
Gender: Transcends Gender
Race: Absolute Being
Primary Suite: Assassination Concept
Section Type: Main Wing
Level: 1 - Intermediate
Sync Percentage: 55% [40%+]
Secondary Wing: The Pool
Sync Percentage: 100% [40%+]
Talent: ??????
Occupation: Narrative Assassin
Title: Prince of Assassins
Rank: Boundless
Merit Points: ?????? [ ]
A look of astonishment crossed Gowther's face as he looked towards the system window, his voice filled with wonder as he examined the progress of both his primary and secondary wings.
"Wow, my secondary wing has increased by 40%! It's reached perfection, but my primary wing is still only halfway through its first level."
"It seems the difference between the secondary and primary wings is enormous in terms of difficulty, development, and abilities."
"Gowther, head to the center and activate a special wing."
"Okay."
"Very good. You've become a well-behaved child." The Assassination Concept's tone held a hint of sarcasm, which annoyed Gowther, but he decided to ignore it, as it wasn't the right time for an argument, and also because the Assassination Concept was still far stronger than him.
After 34 steps, Gowther reached the center of the runes and the hall. "Try not to die. If you lose focus or stop, you'll die and go into the Mist of Mystery, turning into Mist," even though the Assassination Concept's voice was calm. The message reached Gowther's ears clearly, and this brought him some comfort. Often, the most dangerous things lie hidden in the most comfortable and easiest of situations.
[Assassination Concept Wing] [Activate]
[Blessing Wing] [Activate]
Once the Blessing Wing was activated, Gowther's power increased by a certain amount.Two hits and 500 times luck.
As for the Assassination Concept wing, Gowther's power and stats increased by two ranks again, meaning they rose by a total of four ranks.
On Gowther's back, a tattoo glowed a fierce crimson red, and his hair, which had turned from blond to a deep red, rose into the air and rippled like seaweed.
On the other side, runes glowed with a faint crimson light. After several minutes, Gowther's body began to transform again into crimson narrative texts. These texts then entered the problem pits of the runes, transforming into water, pure energy.
A powerful light erupted, illuminating the hall with a beautiful crimson glow.
A slight smile appeared on Assassination Concept's face as he looked towards Gowther.
"He who stops in the river of ambition will drown in the depths of oblivion," the Concept's voice was full of meaning. He scoffed at the existence of the runes as he looked towards the runes.
In the real world, people's ambitions drown as their age or desires increase, causing them to forget their primary purpose and become preoccupied with other things like love, lust, pleasures, life, envy, hatred, greed, vanity, laziness, and the desire for comfort.
In a strange world with a black sky and a black eye in its center, with pupils resembling those of demons, he looked towards Gowther, who wore a loose white robe that swayed in the strong winds coming from the River of Ambitions. Before him was a river moving in the opposite direction, like life itself; whoever tries to live in it is pulled back, which is death.
A deep sigh escaped Gowther's lips as he remembered the words of the assassination: "Try not to die. If you lose focus or stop, you will die and go into the fog of mystery, to become fog."
"Then I must cross this river called the River of Ambitions."
Gowther walked across the River of Ambitions, and endless thoughts began to surge within his mind like a raging sea. Ambitions, like the sea, were vast, but what A small thing is accomplished, like a small river.
One dreams as long as one is free, like a vast sea, but one achieves what one strives for in ambition, like a river carrying what it can without excess, casting what it doesn't need into the sea. Like one who walks in a river of ambitions to achieve their goals and dreams, under the banner of perseverance. And when one loses perseverance through preoccupation with fleeting worldly matters such as love, lust, pleasures, envy, hatred, greed, vanity, laziness, desire, and comfort, one drowns in a sea of oblivion.
Gother continued to fight his dreams and ambitions from his present and past life, while with his body heeding the winds of fate and the pressures thrown upon him by the evil eye, attempting to shake his perseverance and plunge him into the depths of oblivion.