Chapter LVIII - Assassin (part 1)

We arrived at the kingdom only a few minutes before the sun set. 

It was already quite dark outside, so I conjured a small ball of flames around us so we could see.

The guards let us inside the gate after we arrived and showed our adventurer identification card to them. I didn't see Miss Vane anywhere, so I ignored it and followed the others inside.

We all walked towards the Office so that we could claim the mission rewards. And unsurprisingly, Klane is there. She was probably waiting for her switch at the desk, which is after the third bell. She glared at me feeling sorry for today, so I guess she still felt bad.

Hod went and grabbed the rewards before splitting it with the others. We sat at the diner afterwards.

Everyone tried to pry information from me about the mission I received from the meeting, but I already told them it's quite classified. Cony gave up after thirty minutes of questioning, which was painful for me.

We spent the rest of the evening eating and chatting. Cony is trying really hard to find out who is Valey's crush, while Valey, the victim, continuously and outright denies Cony's statements. The boys aren't quite enjoying the topic, so they just enjoyed the meal in silence.

I, too, weren't really interested. But I ended up chuckling seeing the angry Valey.

Cony even peeled out Hod and Barett, but the two rejected any accusations. And after seeing that she has no more victims, she finally turns to me.

"Is… there someone you like, Rize?"

Cony asked frontally. You know, girls usually talk about these kinds of stuff on their own and gossip about hell knows what. This is not the way to do it, Cony.

Or maybe she was just a little hyped from today. We did slain two Lesser dragons quite easily, where one is a nearly evolved one. Thanks to that, we obtained a great amount of cash.

And to get me out of this situation...

"I don't like anyone."

"Hehh~... Is that so..."

She stared at me with great suspicion. I rolled my eyes and finished my drink.

The rest of the night was completed with people trying to shut Cony up by blatantly accusing her of dating a guy. Of course she tries to deny it, but it was actually made up by Barett to tease Cony for talking about such things.

Have a taste of her own medicine. We all laughed so hard.

And finally, it's time to leave.

The five of us went separate ways and headed home. Since today was quite tiresome, my plan for tonight is to just sleep and do all the cleaning tomorrow morning.

Tomorrow is... Monday, isn't it?

Well, I'm prepared for anything.

At least, I thought so until I arrived in my room.

I tried unlocking the door, but right after the door was opened, I sensed something wrong. I kept opening the door, and a single person was standing in the middle of my messed up room. 

It's a man, and not someone I recognized.

His hair is pitch black, long and tied on the back. He is wearing a black robe with both of his hands hidden underneath the cloak.

The man turned his black eyes at me and grinned. I immediately recognized the danger.

I quickly summoned both my swords, but my speed was nothing compared to this guy.

In just a blink, he suddenly closed the distance between us and arrived right in front of me. Blades appeared from his hidden hands and stabbed me in the stomach.

JREBB!!!!!

"Khh!!"

Blood spilt from my mouth as my insides slowly came out from the hole he created.

"Stay dead, fox."

The assassin pulled out the knife and dropped my body to the floor.

He walked over my body as he left the room while cleaning his knife, leaving me to die.

I was so focused on him, that I didn't realize my stomach just got stabbed. I quickly activated healing magic, but not even healing magic can reduce the pain.

It hurts.

It hurts.

It hurts.

My stomach spilled out.

It hurts.

It hurts.

This pain is insane.

It hurts.

It hurts so much.

It hurts.

Please, someone help.

It hurts.

It hurts.

It hurts.

It hurts.

It hurts.

It hurts…

That was the only thing my brain is capable of saying while my healing magic slowly heals the wound. Maybe my mind couldn't withstand the pain, but my body could. And as a result, my body slowly heals the wound on its own, even without my command.

Is this the ability of a Knight tier healing magic?

The pain slowly disappeared as my body kept on closing the wound. After my mind reached a normal state, I commanded the magic to pour even more energy to the healing.

And after five minutes, the wound closed. I slowly stood up from the pond of blood on the floor and took out my communication crystal.

However, my body quickly fell down to the floor.

What is going on?

My body felt extremely weak.

Suddenly, my insides felt twisted and I puked saliva on the floor. My head hurts and my insides felt burning. Immediately, I casted healing magic on my whole body.

Thanks to the magic, I am now able to sense everything happening inside my body. And just as I thought, the knife had poison, and I have been poisoned.

I quickly casted magic on my bloodstream, clearing every single trace of poison coming from it. The poison was very powerful, but not a challenge for my healing magic.

The trace of poison finally disappears a few seconds later. I tried standing up again, much slower than before.

Now that I know I can move properly, it's clear now what I'm going to do.

I'm going to find that son of a bitch.

I took out my communication crystal and imbued magic into it.

"Anyone there?"

I called out to the crystal, and one by one they all slowly replied.

I explained to them while changing my clothes. Instead of wearing a casual outfit, I wore my second adventurer attire and put on my waterproof coat. 

Everyone else panicked when they heard, but I already told them I am okay. I just didn't tell them the part where I am going to hunt him.

I put on the skeleton mask, similar to the one I wore when I fought at the Grey ranking test and the orc camp.

After preparing up, I ignored the blood pond in front of my room and headed out from the window.

My eyes are incredibly hungry for revenge, and I wanted him dead or alive.

Time for a hunt.

.