Drip, drip.
Fresh blood trickled down the skin, falling to the ground.
The man stood there, stunned.
In all his years as an assassin, he had seen countless scenes.
But the sight before him was truly unprecedented.
A slender, fair hand blocked the dagger.
The blade pierced through the palm, trailing crimson blood.
The man raised his head in shock, meeting a pair of emotionless eyes.
No emotion, no pain.
As if such agony of a pierced hand was merely trivial.
The first to react was the target, Lina Sinclair.
Her pupils contracted abruptly as she instinctively took half a step back.
The gleaming blade and her heart were separated by an infinitesimal distance.
She could even feel the chill emanating from the dagger's tip.
In the next instant, upon seeing the hand shielding her, Lina's expression froze.
She blinked, her face flashing through a series of complex emotions: shock, lingering fear, disbelief, and more.
"Kyaaaaaaaaaaah!"
Finally, a girl nearby caught sight of the scene and let out a terrified scream, clutching her head.
The piercing shriek instantly drew everyone's attention. They looked over, and like a boiling pot, the entire venue erupted into chaos.
The physical education teacher in the distance noticed the commotion and hurried over.
The assailant regained his senses. With a vicious glint in his eyes, he exerted force, intending to withdraw the dagger.
Although the situation had taken an unexpected turn, it was far from irreparable.
To secure this assassination opportunity, they had already sacrificed several precious insiders.
Failure was unacceptable under any circumstances!
The man tensed his body, giving it his all. One pull, two pulls...
It wouldn't budge...
The dagger was firmly stuck in that hand.
He closed his eyes in despair.
He couldn't comprehend why such an oddity would appear in a high school campus.
At that moment, the man yearned for the black handgun he had used on previous missions.
If it weren't for the strict security in Shadehaven City, who the hell would use a dagger for an assassination these days?
...
...
Half an hour later, at Shadehaven City's Hospital.
Alex returned.
He lay on the white hospital bed, his hand bandaged, hiding the horrific wound.
The teachers and classmates who had come to visit had dispersed, leaving only a slender figure who had brought over a small stool to sit beside the bed.
The girl's expression was somewhat complex.
Even with her extensive experience, her emotions remained unsettled after such an incident.
The fleeting glint of the blade, the terror between life and death, the profusely bleeding hand—everything seemed vivid in her mind.
It made Lina's heart ache faintly.
She dared not imagine if that knife had stabbed her instead...
She raised her head, gazing at the boy on the bed.
'He looks familiar'
'Isn't he the boy who had passed by the classroom door at noon!?'
Alex leaned against the headboard, his hands casually resting on the bed as he turned his head to look out the window.
In Lina's eyes, it was an extremely pleasing side scene.
The boy had a tall, straight nose, thin lips, and a natural air of ease between his brows.
She never considered herself a face value enthusiast, but she had to admit that those with exceptional looks were indeed more likely to evoke a favorable impression.
Moreover, the person before her was her savior.
She couldn't imagine how a youth who had barely grown up dared to block an incoming blade with a single hand.
'What drove him?'
'What kind of courage did it take?'
If their roles were reversed, Lina would never have been able to muster such bravery.
If it were to protect loved ones, it might be somewhat understandable.
But they were mere acquaintances.
They hadn't even exchanged glances...
Despite her puzzlement, Lina was genuinely grateful to this young man.
After some thought, she took the initiative to speak: "Alex-San, thank you. If it weren't for you, I might be the one lying here now.."
Alex turned his head, his expression as calm as ever, revealing no particular emotion.
His body had long become immortal. Even if he were reduced to a pile of flesh, as long as he waited patiently for some time, he would recover as usual.
The wound piercing his entire palm was probably no more than a mosquito bite to him.
If it weren't for the sake of maintaining a peaceful life, Alex wouldn't have bothered coming to the hospital.
"There's no need for thanks"
He glanced at Lina and suddenly asked, "I heard your family is quite wealthy. How much do you think you're worth?"
"?_?"
Lina was taken aback, a strand of hair twitching in confusion.
After all, he was her savior. Even if the question was odd, she lowered her head and pondered seriously.
Even disregarding the unknown factors, the identity of the young lady of the Sinclair family alone would attract countless suitors from prominent families, willing to spend a fortune.
Lina's face showed a conflicted expression. "If you're asking for a specific number, I really don't know how much I'm worth. Anyway, it's a lot, a whole lot"
She leaned against the edge of the bed, propping her chin with one hand, and added earnestly, "Enough to buy the entire hospital"
Alex was slightly startled. "Well, there's no need for that much. You can just give me a little. I want the dean to renovate the orphanage"
"Over the years, exposed to wind and rain, I remember many of the rooms have crumbling walls. And there's never been money to install air conditioning. In the summer, the ceiling fans creak and groan as they spin"
The boy gazed out the window, speaking quietly, a smile appearing on his face. "Every time I visit, my little sister always complains, saying she's afraid to sleep with the fan on in the summer, fearing that one day it might fall and she'll become the lucky audience member chosen to be reborn in another world"
Lina was infected by his smile, the corners of her mouth curving upward slightly.
For some reason, being with this young man made her feel more at ease.
She joked, "What's wrong with being reborn in another world? You might even get to play the game of the hero fighting the demon lord"
Alex shook his head.
"The other world isn't that great"
Lina pursed her lips, somewhat unconvinced. "You make it sound like you've been to another world"
"Maybe…"
Lina shifted her shoulders, about to say something more when the door to the ward was pushed open, interrupting her.
It was Dr. Shad.
He wiped the fine beads of sweat from his forehead, evidently having run up the stairs.
He hurried to the bedside, carefully examining Alex. Seeing his normal complexion, Dr. Shad finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"Is this how you keep your promise to me?"
"Don't think that just because the examination at noon showed no issues, you can let your guard down. Conditions can change in an instant. Until we've thoroughly confirmed your recovery, we can't relax our vigilance, okay?"
Dr. Shad's tone was somewhat stern.
But Alex knew it stemmed from concern.
"Sorry Dr., I'll be more careful in the future"
Lina, who had been standing to the side, looked puzzled. "What condition?"
Only then did Dr. Shad notice there was someone else in the room. He frowned, not immediately responding, but instead sought Alex's permission with his gaze.
After all, it was the patient's privacy. He couldn't make the decision on his own.
Seeing the young man nod, Dr. Shad slowly said,
"Alex has a severe congenital heart disease"
Upon hearing this, Lina's body trembled. She looked at the boy on the bed, who met her gaze with calm eyes.
Inexplicably, Lina averted her gaze.