"Phantom Rebirth: The Last White Raven’s Path to the Ultimate Assassin"

For the next few days, I kept my movements cautious, limiting my training to more isolated areas. Whoever that man was, he hadn’t returned—but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t.

I had to be ready.

As night fell, I perched atop a thick tree branch, cloaked in shadows. The forest was quiet, save for the occasional chirp of an insect. My fingers idly twirled a card, my mind elsewhere.

Stealth had always been my greatest weapon. Even in my past life, I had relied on deception more than brute strength. A ghost in the dark, striking from the unseen.

I needed more than just strength.

I needed information.

And I knew just how to get it.

Sliding down from my perch, I moved silently through the trees, each step calculated. There was a village not far from here, one I had avoided until now.

That would change tonight.

The village was small, nestled at the forest’s edge. Warm lights flickered from windows, the scent of cooking fires lingering in the air.

I moved along the rooftops, staying out of sight. My eyes scanned the streets below, searching.

There.

A group of men gathered near a well, voices low, their postures tense. Hunters, by the look of them. Possibly mercenaries.

I inched closer, listening.

“—saw tracks near the eastern border,” one muttered.

“Again?” another grumbled. “That makes three times this week.”

A third man, older, crossed his arms. “If someone’s lurking around, we need to know who. Could be bandits.”

“Or something worse,” the first muttered.

Interesting.

I slipped away before they noticed me, making my way back into the trees.

So they knew someone was here.

Which meant I had two options—leave, or make sure no one could follow me.

The latter was much more appealing.

I’d spent my life eliminating threats before they became problems. That wouldn’t change now.

The game had begun.

And I always played to win.

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