Chapter 5: Ruthless Killer
A group of twelve individuals dressed in black cloaks appeared in front of the two-story house, dispersing in various directions.
In contrast to the guards, these individuals bore the semblance of seasoned assassins, each armed with different weapons.
However, John remained vigilant of their actions. Observing the movements of the cloaked figures from an open window, he began devising a plan.
'These guys are not a normal bunch. They are well-trained. Although I have a lot of experience in battle, I need to be very careful of their strange skills.' He showed a grim look.
'My next action will shake this city. But will they consider my next action as an inhumane act or a self-defensive one? Which side will the City Lord take?'
In truth, John's next course of action would decide his future!
In the worst-case scenario, the Churches and the Royal Family of Arc Kingdom would try to brand him as a member of an evil organization and put some bounty on his head.
There was nothing called wrong or right in this world. As long as one had enough power to suppress others, the so-called justice would tuck its tail between its legs and stand behind them like some lap dog.
He was a skilled assassin on Earth and knew how things would work.
'Nevertheless, I hope to find a new future in this magical world. I don't want to be under someone else for the rest of my life. I also don't want to walk on the path of darkness.' Although killing and looting the weak may seem fun, things get nasty when someone becomes addicted to such feelings.
The mere emotion of killing for fun might turn a human into a monster.
"I need to control my emotions from now on. Otherwise, I might end up in a difficult situation." He muttered solemnly.
With the newly acquired magical skills, he wouldn't have any problem dealing with these professional killers. But he had to be careful when facing the City Lord or Bishop.
Shaking his head, he shifted his attention toward the killers and studied their movements.
'From their movements, I can tell that most rely on their brute strength. Hmm, their strength should be above normal, but it won't pose much threat to me. Their stealth skills are not good enough.' He made a few plans inside his head and started reverting away in quiet footsteps.
Meanwhile, two cloaked guys sneaked to the rear of the building while three more moved towards the second floor through the open windows.
On the other hand, the other seven killers unsheathed their weapons and rushed into the front door.
'Here they come.'
Muttering, John activated both [Conceal] and [Dark Vision] skills and headed towards the back door.
While moving stealthily, John's eyes fixated on the two cloaked figures who occupied the living room. Clutching a gleaming silver dagger tightly in his grasp, he advanced towards them; his footsteps masked by the carpet's softness.
With a swift and determined motion, John sprang forward, launching toward one of the intruders. Like a deadly extension of his will, his dagger aimed unyieldingly for his target's chest.
The silver blade instantly tore through flesh, piercing the intruder's chest with a resounding impact. Adrenaline coursed through John's veins as he witnessed his strike inflict a fatal wound upon the unsuspecting foe.
A piercing cry of agony erupted from the living room, momentarily drowning the room in chaotic noise. The shrill cry was abruptly followed by the distinct sound of a sword being unsheathed and swiftly swung from the right.
Without hesitation, John withdrew his dagger from the assailant's chest, its metallic surface gleaming eerily in the dim moonlight. Simultaneously, his instincts and honed reflexes guided him to evade the impending sword attack, narrowly avoiding a fatal blow.
The power of his [Sixth Sense] skill granted him a heightened perception of his surroundings, allowing him to anticipate and react to the enemy's every move. With uncanny precision, John pivoted swiftly, launching a slashing motion aimed at his opponent's wrist. The forceful strike connected, causing the enemy's grip on the sword to falter, and the weapon clattered to the ground.
Every action John undertook was executed with a remarkable combination of swiftness and accuracy, underscoring his formidable skills and unwavering resolve in the face of danger.
With a calculated and forceful motion, John delivered a powerful kick to the groin of the remaining opponent, causing him to double over in excruciating pain. Seizing the opportunity, he swiftly maneuvered his silver dagger toward the assailant's neck, precisely slashing.
The blade made a chilling arc through the air before connecting with its target, slicing through the vulnerable flesh in a swift and decisive motion. A gasp of disbelief escaped the opponent's lips, but it was quickly stifled as his hands instinctively shot up to grasp his rapidly gushing neck wound.
The intruder crumbled to his knees, the impact of his body meeting the unforgiving tile floor reverberating throughout the room with a resounding thud. His futile attempts to halt the torrent of blood staining his hands and the cold floor were in vain. Before long, his strength waned, and he collapsed, leaving a macabre trail of crimson in his wake.
The floor beneath him bore witness to the grim conclusion of the confrontation, now adorned with a haunting reminder of the swift and merciless justice.
[Target Eliminated! 30 Battle Exp Acquired!]
As the notification discreetly flickered across, John swiftly dismissed it, his focus shifting towards the remaining assailant. The man's contorted visage betrayed his agony, evident even through the haze of pain that clouded his expression. Despite the severe wound marring his chest, he bravely endured, emitting a muffled sound of suffering that struggled to escape his lips.
Yet, to John's grim realization, no coherent word emerged from the wounded man's mouth. It was as if the magnitude of his injuries had robbed him of his ability to communicate, leaving his pain to manifest in anguished, incomprehensible utterances.
In a display of cold resolve, John lowered himself into a squatting position near the wounded intruder, his eyes filled with disappointment and disdain. A silent exchange of understanding passed between them, unspoken words conveying the consequences of daring to engage in a hide-and-seek game with a former assassin.
With a calculated motion, John retrieved the longsword from the floor. The blade gleamed as he raised it above his head, channeling all his strength into a decisive strike.
The full force of his swing descended upon the exposed neck of his fallen adversary, the blade cleaving through flesh and sinew with a sickening finality. The severance of the head from the body was swift and brutal, marking the end to the wounded killer's torment.
In that chilling moment, John's actions spoke louder than any words.
On the other hand, the head bounced twice and stopped near the chair.
[Target Eliminated! 29 Battle Exp achieved!]
"Not bad!" Muttering, he walked towards the other fallen intruder, slashed his sword at his neck, and decapitated the head.
While John did not prefer decapitation, he understood the importance of eliminating potential loose ends.
'Eve's peculiar health condition served as a stark reminder. These enemies might not succumb easily to a mere stab to the chest or a slash across the throat.'
Lost in thought, John maneuvered towards the spiral stairs with an agility that betrayed his presence. His footsteps barely whispered against the floor as he ascended to the upper level.
Within seconds, he found himself standing on the second-floor corridor. His keen eyes swiftly identified a rugged figure emerging cautiously from a nearby bedroom. The man held a lamp in his right hand, its dim glow casting an eerie aura as he methodically searched for any signs of John's whereabouts.
Simultaneously, John's gaze caught sight of two more intruders engrossed in conversation within the confines of a nearby storeroom. A furrow formed on his brow, a subtle indication of his growing concern.
Time was of the essence.
'I must kill him swiftly,' John resolved, recognizing the urgent need to neutralize this threat without delay.
He crouched down and dashed towards the opponent in an incredible feat.
What's more shocking was that no sound came from his shoes!
He moved closer to the enemy and prepared to attack within two seconds.
As he was about to thrust his sword at the enemy, a strange foreboding sensation appeared in his heart, causing him to stop his movement.
Simultaneously, his heartbeat raced!
At that moment, the [Sixth Sense] skill activated and warned him about the impending danger!
Reacting instinctually, John propelled himself upward, executing a flawless backflip mid-air before gracefully landing two steps away from his previous position.
However, as fate would have it, a sinister bolt of dark lightning materialized from the opposite building. With an ominous crackling sound, it streaked across the space where John had stood mere moments before, leaving an electrified trail of danger in its wake. The malevolent energy surged with relentless force, crashing into the wall with a thunderous impact.
In a blinding display of destructive power, the lightning bolt exploded upon impact, illuminating the entire corridor in a brilliant, momentary light. In that fleeting moment, John's once concealed location was laid bare, exposed to the prying eyes of his relentless enemy.
'Magic spell? What is this powerful lightning attack?' Cold sweat dripped down from his forehead.
Without hesitation, John lunged forward, his determination unyielding as he closed the distance between himself and the rough-looking man.
Simultaneously, the intruder's keen senses alerted him to John's presence, prompting an immediate and aggressive response. With a scimitar gripped firmly in his right hand, he charged forward, ready to engage in a clash of blades.
The intruder's movements possessed a unique flair, leaving no openings for John to exploit. Their confrontation at the bedroom entrance unleashed a cacophony of clanging sounds, the clash of metal reverberating through the air. Fiery yellow sparks erupted, casting a shower of luminous fragments that danced within the confined space.
In a mere three seconds, the intensity of the battle began to take its toll on John. A growing numbness tingled through his body, an undeniable reminder of the toll exacted by the relentless exchange of blows.
Despite the added challenge of holding a lamp in one hand, the rough-looking man adeptly parried most of John's attacks, exerting significant pressure on him.
John's astonishment grew palpable.
'What in the world? He possesses the strength of a bodybuilder,' he muttered. Recognizing the need for a different approach, John swiftly retreated, his hand deftly slithering towards his left boot. Retrieving a sharp kitchen knife, he propelled it toward the rough-looking man's groin with remarkable velocity.
Simultaneously, John skillfully moved backward, melding into the darkness that shrouded the surroundings.
However, the rough-looking man reacted swiftly, expertly handling his scimitar to intercept the incoming kitchen knife. Yet, an abrupt freeze seized him, halting his movements.
At that moment, the rough-looking man's widened eyes betrayed his realization. The target he had been engaging in combat had inexplicably vanished from his sight, leaving him perplexed and vulnerable in the face of the unseen threat.
'He is no ordinary young kid. Wait, he clearly showed assassin-type skill earlier!'
"Guys, be careful of any sneak attack. This guy seems to have chosen-'Cough.'" But before he could finish his words, a silver dagger came from his right side and plunged right into his throat!
A second later, John appeared behind the rough-looking man and swiftly decapitated the enemy's head using the other sword.
[Target Eliminated! 34 Battle Exp achieved!]
The intruder's head flew up in the air and sprayed scarlet blood on the white ceiling.
At that moment, the lamp in his hand also fell and made a loud noise.
As the decapitated head hurtled towards the floor in a dreadful display, it was deftly caught by a gentle hand emerging from the darkness. John's presence and intentions concealed swiftly vanished again, leaving an unsettling air of intrigue behind.
Upon the arrival of the other two cloaked men at the entrance of the bedroom, their eyes were met only with the sight of a headless body sprawled motionless upon the tiled floor.
A surge of anger rippled through one of the intruders, who growled in frustration,
"Lucas is down!"
A determination to buy time for their comrades ignited within the other intruder.
"I will delay him momentarily. Go and inform the others of our situation," he muttered, his resolve evident in his tone as he proceeded to move toward a different vantage point.
However, as he took a step forward, his face stiffened abruptly. A sudden and powerful wind howled through the opened window, extinguishing the fire in his lamp. Swearing in frustration, he began to voice a question, but a chilling slashing sound sliced through the air from behind him before the words could escape his lips.
With a panicked whirl, he pivoted his body to face the unforeseen threat. The sight that greeted him at that moment evoked a mixture of disbelief and terror, etching a look of profound shock upon his face.
In place of his partner, what met his gaze was the sight of a headless body, a grotesque dance unfolding in the obscurity of the darkness. Before he could comprehend the chilling reality, the body collapsed, crashing against the floor with a resounding thud.
Amid his confusion and disbelief, a figure materialized, a shadowy presence emerging from the depths of the gloom. Standing ominously before him, the mysterious individual locked eyes with him, the expression devoid of mercy or remorse.
A cold, detached voice pierced the silence as John's words cut through the air like shards of ice.
"Are you searching for this?" he uttered, his tone devoid of warmth or empathy.
With a calculated motion, he callously flung the severed head of the other assailant toward the bewildered intruder,
Fear gripped the intruder's heart as he instinctively grabbed the head and roared angrily!
Meanwhile, John smirked as he avoided the incoming sword and thrust his sword directly at the intruder's throat.
[Target Eliminated! 30 Battle Exp achieved!]
[Target Eliminated! 33 Battle Exp achieved!]
'Hmm, I'm getting used to this body.'
He nodded inwardly and soon furrowed as he heard multiple footsteps from the staircase.
'I should head over and finish off the one who cast the lightning spell.' He slashed his sword, decapitated the intruder's head, and threw it in the corridor.
Afterward, he entered his bedroom, moved towards the opened window, and stealthily climbed down from the second floor using a pipe.
Upon successfully landing on the soft expanse of the lawn, John instinctively surveyed his surroundings, a keen sense of caution guiding his every action. His watchful eyes didn't take long to detect a humanoid figure lurking nearby, its form silhouetted against the road, fixated on his building.
Even though it was darker, the shadow's eyes shone green for some odd reason, giving him an eerie feeling.
'Who is it?'
Before John could move closer to the compound gate, the human shadow noticed his presence and ran away hurriedly.
'A neighbor?' He furrowed his brows and shook his head.
'There's no need to worry about witnesses.'
He moved towards the back of the building and surveyed the rooftop of the adjacent structure.
The single-story house appeared neglected and deserted.
Continuing his observation, he spotted a person standing on the rooftop, peering at his own house through a telescope-like device.
With a sense of wariness, John secured his silver dagger and approached the wall. He leaped across the gap, swiftly navigating to the opposite building.
Ensuring he remained undetected, he reached the base of the building and scaled it using a ladder.
Meanwhile, the shadowy human held some ring-like artifact in his hand and was in the middle of talking to someone else.
'Communication device?' John quietly climbed up to the rooftop and crept behind him.
Instead of the customary black cloak, that shadowy human adorned himself in a billowing red robe, its loose fabric lending an air of mystique to his presence. With his dark hair cascading untamed, this figure possessed a round, chubby face that seemed to belie his years. The youthfulness in his features suggested an age of approximately 25, further adding to the enigma surrounding him.
"I didn't see any traces of him on the second floor." The person muttered solemnly and looked at the opposite building.
"Are you looking for me?"
John didn't want to waste more time and asked coldly from behind.
The chubby-faced guy jerked up in shock and turned around with frightened eyes.
"H-How did you find me?" He asked with a stutter and moved his hand towards the strange ring.
In the meantime, John slashed his long sword and severed his wrist.
"I will tell you when you answer mine," he said coldly.
Due to his sudden attack, the chubby-faced guy screamed in pain and attracted the attention of the other intruders and the nearby neighbors.
"I will answer! I will answer it." He shouted while shivering like a frightened cat.
Nodding, John stared into his red eyes and ordered.
"Good. Tell me your full name."
"Rios Garcia." The chubby-faced guy replied while gritting his teeth.
"Who are those 'True Lords'?" John asked further while playing with his sword.
"I don't know. But Da-Master James said they have some connection with Nightwind Elders." Rios said as he raised his severed hand and looked for help.
The other cloaked men also realized that John was in the opposite building and moved in this direction.
On the other hand, John nodded thoughtfully and asked another question.
"Who is James? Why is he after me?"
"This... His master is afraid of you-." Rios clamped his mouth shut at a tongue slip and instantly turned pale.
"His master?" John stared at him suspiciously and skillfully threw a knife toward one of the killers who had arrived closer to the building.
"L-Lord M-Martin Nightwind. He is Lord Martin Nightwind." Rios took a step back in fear and answered.
"Good. But why is this Martin after my head?" John was very curious about this. It didn't make any sense at all.
Meanwhile, Rios gained courage as he saw the cloaked figures climbing up the roof using the ladder and decided to buy some time.
"It's about your father, Charles. Lord Martin feared that your father might have given you a final gift before his death. So, he cooperated with the 'True Lords' and planned to kill you before you chose your Main Class."
"What does it have to do with me choosing the Main Class?" John got more confused by his reply and asked further.
"Unless you activate your class, you won't receive your father's gift," Rios replied nonchalantly.
'What the hell? How did he know so much information?' He furrowed his brows in suspicion.
"How did you know so much information about me?"
In truth, he didn't think that this interrogation would proceed smoothly.
Meanwhile, Rios scratched his head awkwardly and hung his head in depression.
"James is my dad."
'Interesting. I didn't expect the enemy to send his son as a reward.' John chuckled as he turned around and dashed towards the cloaked figures who had already arrived at the rooftop.
As he moved in the darkness, he activated the [Conceal] skill and slowly mingled with the night.
A few seconds later, he arrived near the ladder's end, stabbed his sword at the person who tried to climb up, and pushed him off.
Simultaneously, he grabbed the ladder's end and pushed it to the opposite side.
Five cloaked figures lost their balance in the next second and fell along the ladder.
On the other hand, John shifted his attention toward the three guys who had already climbed up the rooftop and started killing them.
[Target Eliminated! 35 Battle Exp achieved!]
[Target Eliminated! 30 Battle Exp achieved!]
[Target Eliminated! 38 Battle Exp achieved!]
...
A few minutes later, John stood on the rooftop, glancing at the eight corpses, and sighed heavily.
He felt exhausted.
'My muscles hurt like hell. Tsk, what a troublesome job.' He shook his head and glanced at the trembling Rios. After witnessing the gruesome battle, Rios had long submitted his fate to John.
He stood a few meters away from him like a scared cat and shivered.
On the other hand, John felt weak all over his body.
'I'm losing blood.'
Although John managed to kill all his enemies, he also got wounded and felt a sharp pain in his shoulder area.
Blood dripped down from his hand and stained the rooftop.
'Do I have to go back and ask for Bishop Reynolds' help?'
At that moment, he suddenly thought of something and asked.
"Do you have any healing potion?"
"Pardon?" Rios was about to shake his head but suddenly stiffened up.
At that moment, he looked at his wounded wrist and gritted his teeth.
"I-I have one healing vial. But you have to share it with me."
He decided to ask anyway, although he could not make such a demand.
"You are indeed a smart lad," John commented like an old man and agreed.
With a deep sigh, Rios took a reddish vial from his pocket and gave it to him.
"T-This is the only thing I have." He added anxiously.
On the other hand, John caught the vial and frowned
Noticing his frown, Rios quivered all over and spoke in a hurry.
"It's a real one, sir. I wouldn't dare to lie."
John gave one last look at the vial and opened it.
"Open your mouth," He ordered.
Rios nodded his head and opened his mouth with a helpless look.
John then poured half of the potion into his mouth and ordered him to drink it.
Then, he waited for a minute.
After noticing nothing abnormal was happening to Rios, John raised his hand and drank the potion.
A second later, he noticed that the wounds on his body were starting to disappear and nodded in relief.
"I feel refreshed now."
Muttering, he opened the game interface and glanced at the new notifications.
'I got 389 Battle Exp.' He calculated his exp from killing twelve members and pondered what to do next.
'Hmm, James will come to search for his son. Should I arrange a dinner party for him?' A devilish smile appeared on his face.
Then, he threw all the severed heads on the ground, climbed the ladder, and picked up the decapitated heads.
"W-Why are you taking their heads?" After climbing down from the rooftop, Rios asked him with a stiff face.
"You'll know when the time comes."
John chuckled and walked into his own house. On the other hand, Rios grabbed the remaining heads and followed him.
Once they reached the living hall, John arranged the decapitated heads in the corner.
"Go and get a wooden table from the dining hall." He said to Rios.
After sending him away, he moved towards the entrance, repaired the connection to the candles, and lightened the house.
He moved towards the other rooms, checked the intruders' clothes, and soon sighed in disappointment.
'These guys don't even have a single penny in their pockets.'
"I'm done!" A voice echoed from the living room after a minute.
"Go and get all the other decapitated heads from other rooms."
While saying this, John turned around and headed to the kitchen to make preparations.