Chapter 48 - 48

The skeletal assassin, standing before me, seemed to realize that it had to take me down first before it could target Emma. Slowly, it began to move, circling around me with deliberate steps. After exchanging blows earlier, it must have picked up on something and chose to stay cautious, observing me instead of recklessly charging forward.

Now that the assassin had revealed itself, it should be ready to face the consequences. Gripping my sword tighter, I lunged toward the skeletal assassin. However, instead of engaging me head-on, it chose to retreat.

Under normal circumstances, I would have immediately pursued and pressed the attack, but the fact that we were in the lich's domain made me hesitate. That moment of hesitation was all the assassin needed.

A small orb—it could have been a magical tool—shattered on the ground, releasing thick smoke. The haze that rose from it was clearly enchanted, obscuring everything beyond its reach no matter how hard I tried to focus.

Unsurprisingly, the skeletal assassin vanished into the shadows along with the smoke.

It became clear why the lich had chosen an assassin as its guard—it had intentionally made the surroundings dark and the flow of mana chaotic, further masking the assassin's presence.

I wouldn't worry if this were a straightforward one-on-one duel, but the assassin had two potential targets: me, who was actively hunting it, or Emma, who was locked in a brutal fight with the lich on the other side of the room.

Because of this, the situation inherently put me at a disadvantage. Or at least, it would have.

It might seem similar to when Emma and I first entered the room, unable to detect the assassin's presence. But now, it was fundamentally different.

Both Emma and I were fully aware of the skeletal assassin's existence. And the difference between being aware and unaware of a threat was monumental, no matter how faint its presence might be.

If I couldn't see it anyway, I'd close my eyes. I shut out my vision, channeling all my focus into my other senses, sharpening them to their limits. If pure instinct wasn't enough, I'd rely on my aura to heighten my perception further. Before my time at the academy, such a feat would've been impossible—but my training had not been for nothing.

In particular, the sparring sessions I had with the swordmaster at the Yuri's estate had honed my senses and instincts to near-superhuman levels.

Even with my eyes shut, I could clearly hear the clash of Emma and the lich's battle echoing from across the room. Each time the lich cast another spell, or Emma swung her enormous sword, the shockwaves disrupted my sense of touch. But through the chaos, I could still feel it—the faint, nearly imperceptible sound of the assassin's footsteps as it moved cautiously across the floor.

Despite the roaring noise of the battle, my hearing remained razor-sharp. The slightest shifts in the air betrayed the assassin's movements.

It didn't matter if I couldn't see it. I could picture its movements as if they were laid out before me. My senses went beyond mere prediction—I could feel its path with such clarity that it approached the level of foresight.

Against a typical opponent, such precise reactions might have been impossible. But I had already intercepted one of the assassin's strikes before, and I could tell that its skills as an assassin didn't surpass my own.

I trusted my instincts completely.

Even with my eyes closed, I could track its movements beyond the darkness of my eyelids. It moved silently, creeping behind me, but my honed senses never lost track of it.

It crept closer and closer, but I didn't react just yet. I waited, drawing it into my range.

And the moment it swung its blade—no, just a fraction of a second before—I raised my sword to meet it.

Clang!

If my prediction had been even slightly off, the assassin's blade would've bypassed mine and severed my neck. But my confidence had not been misplaced.

Even though the assassin had no face, I could almost see the panic in its expression.

Ah… this isn't how an assassination is supposed to go.

I understood its shock at having its attack blocked by someone who wasn't even looking, but a real assassin wouldn't freeze at a failed strike. Whether retreating to the shadows or launching a follow-up attack, hesitation was a mistake only third-rate assassins would make.

And so, I decided to give this skeletal assassin a lesson on what it meant to be a true assassin.

"Wanna see something interesting?" I asked.

I began to release my aura—not focusing it on my sword, but dispersing it into the air around me. It wasn't an efficient use of aura, nor was it particularly threatening, but it served its purpose: to erase my presence.

Though it couldn't match the magical smoke the skeleton had used earlier, it was more than enough under these circumstances. The environment the lich had prepared to give the assassin an advantage was now becoming its noose.

As my presence faded into the darkness, the assassin's head swiveled in confusion. I couldn't help but wonder how it was perceiving its surroundings without eyes, but I left such questions for the mages to answer.

My talent wasn't limited to swordsmanship—something I had proven time and again. If I hadn't shown aptitude for assassination, I wouldn't have survived the assassin's guild I had been abducted into. Even if it was a third-rate guild, its master was no slouch.

Though he was a human piece of garbage, his assassination skills were legitimate. If they hadn't been, he wouldn't have survived the cutthroat competition of the assassin world long enough to lead a guild.

That same guild master had taught me everything I knew about assassination—not as a mentor to a student, but as a master using a tool. The nature of our relationship didn't matter now; what mattered was that my skills surpassed those of the skeleton before me.

I suppressed my presence completely, unlike the skeletal assassin, whose faint killing intent still lingered. I moved through the darkness with slow, silent steps.

It wouldn't be able to sense my approach.

Passing in front of it, I tested its reaction. As expected, it didn't detect me.

Finally, I raised my sword. Slowly, methodically. There was no need for a flashy swing; I merely brought the blade toward the back of its skull.

The assassin remained oblivious, even as I stood behind it, even as my sword moved toward its exposed skull.

Crack.

The blade pierced its skull with a dull sound. The skeletal assassin wouldn't have understood what had happened, not even in the moment its skull shattered.

And with that, the battle ended. No grandiose swordplay, no dazzling display of aura. Just an overwhelming difference in skill and experience.

"Well, that was fun. I was worried my skills might've gotten rusty, but I guess not," I said aloud, though there was no one to hear me.

If it had been a swordsman instead of an assassin, or if the room hadn't been designed to favor stealth, this approach wouldn't have worked. But alas, bad luck seemed to follow this skeleton even in undeath.

"Graaaaah!"

The lich's furious roar echoed from across the room. Its spells faltered, the barriers protecting it crumbled, and the magic it had been aiming at Emma dissipated. Emma seized the opportunity to shatter the lich's skull with a single swing of her massive sword.

Ordinarily, the lich would've regenerated and resumed its attack in an instant, but this time, it disintegrated completely, leaving behind only a necklace.

Looking around, I spotted a crystal orb nestled inside the shattered remains of the skeletal assassin's skull. It was the lich's life vessel, something I'd only ever seen in textbooks.

"Well, that saves us some trouble," I muttered. The lich had made it easy by not hiding it in a more secure location. It likely hadn't anticipated someone like Emma tearing through its defenses—or someone like me effortlessly dispatching its guard.

"Looks like we're done here," Emma said, approaching me.

"I would've liked to watch you fight, but I didn't exactly have the luxury," she added with a smirk. "Next time, let's spar together."

She tossed the necklace toward me, and I caught it reflexively.

"Take it. Consider it compensation for all the trouble you went through with the noble families and city events," she said casually.

"Are you sure? It looks valuable, and you did most of the fighting…"

"Don't worry about it. Just have it appraised when we get back—it might be cursed, so don't try it on until you're sure it's safe," she said.

With that, we made our way to the glowing teleportation circle behind the lich's throne.

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