C379 - How Runcandel Deals with Assassins (1)
"I never expected the Assassins from the Malevolent Spirit Base to arrive so quickly."
It was because he believed his movements hadn't been discovered.
Moments ago, he had been with Yona, and when they were searching in the Wantaromo Forest, he had been disguised as Valeria.
Especially when Yona was nearby, it was impossible for the assassins to be so close.
Did they find me right after older sister Yona left?
It hasn't been even two hours.
How did they manage to track my movements in such a short time?
He had no idea.
It couldn't be just a coincidence, given the thoroughness of the Ghost Mercenaries' preparations.
It seems all the first-class passengers were assassins in disguise.
"Well, I'll find out how they managed to follow me later..."
After dealing with the situation.
"My physical condition isn't very good, but older sister Yona's killing intent could be quite useful in this fight."
It would be useful for sensing the 'difference' in ordinary killing intent.
If Yona's killing intent was like a blank canvas, then ordinary killing intent was a palette of various colors.
This, in itself, had a kind of filtering effect.
No matter from which direction an attack came, he could respond at a level close to prediction, thanks to the killing intent imbued in his sword.
Just like how we can distinguish colors on the canvas with our naked eyes.
That's why, even though he was quite tired, Jin had confidence. He fought at an advantage to compensate for his disadvantage.
Sighing as he looked around, the guide seemed perplexed.
"Sir, I apologize, but do you happen to have any narcotics or similar substances with you? I need to check for a moment, please cooperate."
The attendant reached out to Jin.
At that moment, Jin punched him while still seated.
The savage sensation of the attendant's finger bones breaking successively was heard, and before he could scream, Jin cut his throat with his hand.
It wasn't a sword.
It was just his hand, but the cut on the neck was clean.
Jin had also already surpassed the point where he could use his whole body as a sword.
Shriek!
The aura-stained hand left a bright trail.
Blood should have splattered everywhere like a fountain, but no blood was spouting from the cleanly severed neck of the guide.
His entrails were nearly empty.
There were parts resembling the figure of a human and an animal, but the attendant had a 'mask,' created from materials of both.
The familiar sensation when he broke the fingers was due to this.
"Oh, look at you, being so rough. What would you have done if I were really an attendant?"
The young woman wearing a mask as a disguise had been the one in the attendant outfit.
She had now moved away from the cabin entrance, holding two daggers in both hands.
At the same time, there was a chilling sound of swords being drawn all around.
The assassins disguised as passengers were unsheathing their weapons.
"Asking first-class passengers about narcotics possession is something only high-level administrators can do. You need to study more."
Jin seemed to know who the woman was.
"Fey Proch."
The Proch Family.
Originally a simple peasant family, they gained notoriety in the world thanks to a man named "Smarion Proch."
Despite coming from a peasant background, Smarion Proch displayed a talent for assassination from a young age.
He first killed his parents and then committed countless murders.
Eventually, he wiped out the Seigal Family, the family that had ruled the Malevolent Spirit Fortress for centuries, and made the Proch name known to the world.
Smarion left behind two children before his death: Lata Proch, the current leader of the Malevolent Spirit Fortress, and his younger sister, Fey Proch.
And like Smarion, they were born with the destiny of assassins.
In just one generation, a peasant family had turned into a group of assassins, and people referred to them as the 'Proch Demons.'
"So, did you recognize me immediately? Well, the infamous Twelfth Flagbearer of Runcandel. I don't hold a grudge against you, but you'll have to die here today."
In response to Fey's words, Jin calmly observed the various colors of killing intent.
A total of ten highly trained assassins, including Fey Proch. Their killing intent was undoubtedly exceptional.
But Jin didn't find it impressive.
Just two hours ago, he had been in the presence of the very killing intent (Yona).
"If you want that, I suggest you bring more people."
Fey nodded, seemingly unfazed by Jin's provocation.
"That confidence, I hope it continues even when your entire body is paralyzed."
Woooosh...!
As Fey finished speaking, the interior of the cabin began to be enveloped in red smoke.
It was a poisonous gas that caused hallucinations and nervous paralysis.
The lethality of the poison itself wasn't high, but it could instantly strip even trained Warriors of their senses.
It was one of the symbols of the Malevolent Spirit Fortress.
"Hah!"
Jin took a deep breath, filling his lungs with air, and drew his sword.
He then charged towards the cabin entrance where Fey was blocking his way.
She smiled beneath her mask as if everything was over.
Thud!
Fey easily dodged Jin's desperate strike.
Furthermore, the other nine assassins were also closing in on Jin, making it seem impossible for him to escape the cabin.
With a face contorted in desperation, Jin sweated profusely as the assassins closed in on him.
They hoped the poison would finish him off.
"Ugh...!"
Jin staggered, feeling dizzy.
The assassins' swords were getting closer.
Thud!
"Y-yugh... I demand to make a deal."
Finally, Jin fell completely to the ground, barely managing to open his mouth.
Fey's eyes turned cold.
"Where did that audacity go?"
Fey was very disappointed, or perhaps she had expected this to happen.
Fey Proch had witnessed many formidable individuals who initially seemed confident but ended up becoming despicable.
"To make a deal..."
"Kill him. Retrieve the body and return."
When Fey turned around and gave the order, the assassins simultaneously sprang into action.
At that moment, Jin collapsed completely on the ground, barely holding onto his sword.
There was no need to be cautious when thrusting a sword into the back of someone who was lying down, defenseless.
And Jin had been waiting for that moment when the assassins of the Malevolent Spirit Fortress would lose their caution and lower their guard.
"They probably took the antidote beforehand, but they wanted to kill me as quickly as possible and get rid of this poison."
The Thousand-Poison Antidote.
The antidote that turned the drinker's body almost immune to various poisons.
The assassins didn't have it. That's why when they used extreme poison, they had to suffer some damage themselves.
In other words, the assassins of the Malevolent Spirit Fortress used the poisonous mist because they were determined to kill Jin, even if it meant harming their own bodies.
So, despite their best efforts to kill him, when Jin displayed a sublime attitude, Fey let her guard down.
Thud, thud!
The assassins' swords struck mercilessly.
However, the swords weren't aimed at Jin but at the floor where he had fallen.
Since Jin was lying down, he couldn't see from which direction the assassins' swords were coming.
Even if he was alert, dodging the swords in that state was difficult for Jin.
Especially considering the exhaustion that had built up in his body.
However, what mattered was the killing intent that Jin perceived in them.
Even with his eyes closed, Jin felt like he could easily dodge all their swords.
"Kkuhk!"
Fey, who was about to leave the room, turned towards Jin at that moment.
At the instant her neck was broken, the assassin let out a death scream.
Fey's eyes widened in disbelief.
What...?
Could it be that Jin Runcandel had been acting all along until now?
She realized instantly.
Whether he possessed the Thousand-Poison Antidote or had a venomous body like Kuzan, Jin had immunity to poison, and he had used it to act.
However, as fast as she had realized, it was already too late.
Another assassin's body had been cut horizontally, and in the midst of the severed body, Jin could be seen wielding a sword tainted with dark energy like a demon.
Thump-!
Red blood splattered as lifeless bodies fell to the ground, forming a grotesque sound.
"That's why the assassins of the Malevolent Spirit Fortress are considered worse than the Nameless Assassins. Poison? Did you really think you could assassinate Runcandel with something like that?".
Jin, blood dripping from his lips, briefly glanced at Fey.
In that fleeting moment, Fey felt intense defeat for the first time in her life.
In her 25 years of existence, she had never experienced such a humiliating moment.
"Kill him!"
Fey charged forward, shouting.
Three assassins were already dead, and yet, with a 7-to-1 advantage, they believed they could still kill Jin using sheer brute force.
Fey and the assassins believed so.
Up to the moment when Fey, who had caught Jin from behind, thrust her dual blades, hoping that this time the blades would penetrate his body and kill him...
Clang!
However, Fey's twin blades, which had fallen on Jin's back, produced only an empty sound as if they bounced off metal.
Shadow Energy Armor
The Thousand-Poison Antidote was not the only thing the assassins of the Malevolent Spirit Fortress were unaware of.
They also had no information about Bradamante's Shadow Energy Armor, which had been completed not long ago.
Sh*t!, Fey cursed as she realized it.
The reason Fey was able to easily position herself behind Jin was thanks to the other assassins who were diverting Jin's attention to the front.
Two out of the seven were engaged in a perilous battle to create an opening.
If Fey's blades had successfully pierced Jin's back, their lifeless heads wouldn't be rolling on the floor right now.
However, two lifeless heads lay on the ground, tossed there without much care.
What remained was Fey and the remaining five assassins, who suddenly felt a pressure in their chests.
A strange fear gripped their hearts, despite still being superior.
But even that sense of superiority wouldn't last long.
"Fey Proch, you had two chances. When you were disguised as an attendant and when I personally told you that you would need more people to kill me. If you had withdrawn then, this wouldn't have been so disappointing. What a shame."
"Your sarcasm is excellent as rumored. I admit I was careless, but your death is inevitable."
"If I were you, I would have escaped even now. This is your third chance."
"Shut up!"
Fey's and the assassins' swords were now crackling with a fierce aura.
They were determined to kill the opponent in front of them, even if it meant facing death themselves.
"Unfortunately..."
Swiiish!
Bradamante's Shadow Energy grew even stronger, and it also added the pressure of the Legend Tribe's suppression.
From within the sword, a strong pressure of blue flames erupted.
The power of Shadow Energy, Lightning Bolt, and the blue flames merged, emitting a deep and sinister aura.
"Well, now there won't be any more opportunities."
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