7 Ch. 7: Nathaniel Leillucis [1]
"Goodbye."
Mustering his last ounce of strength, Adrian forcefully struck the man's left hand away.
—Stab!
"Urk!"
A searing pain erupted in Adrian's abdomen as he felt the cold steel of a dagger piercing through his flesh. Blood surged forth from the deep wound, staining his clothes and the ground beneath him. Despite his desperate attempt to fend off the attack, Adrian's lower rank of strength proved futile against his assassin's superior skill.
Gasping for breath, Adrian's gaze shifted downward, only to find a dagger embedded in his stomach. He could feel his strength rapidly leaving him, his grip on the knife loosening until it slipped from his fingers and clattered to the ground.
"Even at your last breath, you keep making me want you even more." The man twisted the dagger inside Adrian's stomach, causing him to let out a guttural groan.
"Argh!"
The thick red liquid flowed freely from the deep cut, dripping and pooling around him. Adrian's vision blurred as the pain intensified, his body growing weaker by the second.
The man raised his sword and swung it toward Adrian's neck. But before it could reach the skin, the man stopped whatever he was doing and jumped as far as he could.
"Get away from my brother!"
—Whizz!
In a split second, a blindingly blue light in the shape of a crescent moon soared through the air, slicing through the earth below.
Landing perfectly on the ground, the assassin clicked his tongue in astonishment at the power displayed before him. If he was a little late he would doubtlessly be chopped in half.
Shifting his gaze to the assailant, he saw a young boy with black hair sprinting toward the white-haired boy. One of his brows raised in wonder, 'What is that woman's son doing here?'
"Ian!" Nathaniel reached out to his brother, but just as it made contact, Adrian's body abruptly collapsed into his arms.
"Ian!" Nathaniel's voice trembled and he carefully laid Adrian's lifeless body on the ground.
Horror etched onto his complexion as his eyes locked onto the dagger in Adrian's abdomen. Without hesitation, he swiftly removed the weapon.
"Urgh…" A moan escaped Adrian's mouth. Nathaniel retrieved an Elixir and placed it in front of his lips.
"Here, drink this."
Adrian's vision blurred, leaving him unable to identify the person before him. However, judging from his anguished tone, Adrian concluded that this person was an ally. With that thought in mind, he obediently drank the liquid from the bottle, hoping it would alleviate his suffering.
There are 3 kinds of medicines: Potion, Super Potion, and Elixir.
Potion treated minor wounds such as cuts, scrapes, scratches, and punctured skin. Super Potion treated light internal injuries and minor wounds. Created by Alchemists and Herbalists. It was said that the Super Potion was quite pricey. One bottle of Super Potion was equal to 5 bottles of Potion.
The Elixir existed to treat heavy internal injuries and wounds, especially those losing a limb. Although it couldn't grow back your limbs like axolotl. But it could reattach a severed limb's back, as long as the cut limb wasn't crushed into pieces. If Super Potion was called pricey, a bottle of Elixir cost a fortune. Just like Super Potion, Elixir was also made from mixed herbs and Alchemy.
What made it expensive was the herbs were imported from the Elven Kingdom. Not only that, but Elixir was also a handmade product. They couldn't be mass-produced like Potion and Super Potion due to the high failure rate. Only high-ranking Alchemists and Herbalists were allowed to make Elixirs.
"Cough, cough!" A fit of coughing overcame Adrian, causing him to spew out the Elixir along with some blood; his injured stomach rejected any form of ingestion.
"I-Ian!" Panic engulfed Nathaniel, his hand gripping the bottle trembling uncontrollably.
"He won't live long anyway," the assassin interjected callously.
"Shut up!" Nathaniel bellowed with fury as he directed his feral gaze toward the assassin.
But in the next instant, his attention returned to his brother, his voice softening as he spoke, "I know it's difficult, but please, drink this. It will help you get better afterward."
Summoning the last remnants of his strength, Adrian complied and drank the Elixir once again. This time, he managed to swallow it despite the searing pain that coursed through his body.
The man observed the scene in silence, contemplating his next move. As Adrian's chances of survival were uncertain, this meant that he couldn't simply let go of him just yet. Now that Nathaniel stepped in to protect Adrian, he had no choice but to confront Nathaniel head-on, to knock him off and eliminate Adrian.
However, doubts crept into his mind, 'Can I do that?'
His brown eyes rolled, revealing a visible crack on the ground—a pretty deep cut.
It was widely known that the First Prince possessed immense physical strength, while the Second Prince was gifted with exceptional elemental affinities. If it weren't for the other assassins who managed to drain Adrian's mana, he doubted whether he could win against him.
That child single-handedly defeated 9 assassins and not to mention Adrian was an Elementalist; he slew the nature counter of his class. He couldn't fathom what monster Adrian would become if somehow he managed to survive.
'Crazy brat.'
Removing the bottle from his brother's mouth, Nathaniel summoned an earthblock behind Adrian and leaned him on it, "Wait here. I'll take care of that bastard."
The white-haired boy nodded weakly.
Nathaniel sprang to his feet and strode toward the black-robed man. The assassin could see how the boy's spiteful gaze fixated on him as he accelerated his pace, eventually breaking into a sprint. When the distance between them diminished, a sword materialized in Nathaniel's grip and he brandished it.
—Bang!
Sparks of metal erupted into the air the moment their blades collided.
"How dare you!" Nathaniel roared, his golden eyes blazing with hatred. "I will not forgive you!" Swiftly retrieving his sword, Nathaniel swung it with greater force.
—Bang!
Their blades clashed, the impact reverberating through the air.
As they exchanged blows, the assassin couldn't help but ponder the swirling rumor: Nathaniel, despite their factions' enmity, adored his little brother. It was an ironic twist, but witnessing it firsthand confirmed the truth.
"I will kill you!" Nathaniel declared.
—Bang!
The man's brows furrowed upon deflecting Nathaniel's relentless attacks, each strike coming back at him with rapid speed and increased power.
—Bang! —Bang! —Bang!
He clicked his tongue in annoyance upon tasting Nathaniel's strength, 'This doesn't feel like fighting an 8-year-old brat!'
The assassin could feel himself slowly being overpowered. When Nathaniel declared his intention to kill him, it became evident that it was not mere bravado.
Recognizing the futility of continuing to exchange blows, the man hopped backward to create distance. However, to his surprise, Nathaniel was already in front of him, sword outstretched and aimed directly at his heart.
