It was the middle of the night, and I was deep in sleep, enjoying my hard-earned rest in the rickety bed of my rented room. Then, I heard it—a faint creak, like someone's weight shifting on an old, wooden floorboard. My eyes snapped open, and I sat up, instantly alert. It was coming from outside my door.
I raised my palm in the general direction of the door, ready to activate Eternis or Shadow Grip at the slightest hint of trouble. I wasn't in the mood to play around with whoever thought they could sneak up on me in the dead of night.
The door creaked open slowly, casting a sliver of light into the dark room. I narrowed my eyes, my voice low and threatening. "Whoever you are, you've got three seconds to explain yourself before I do something you'll regret."
There was a heavy silence. Then, with another creak, the door opened fully, revealing none other than the inn receptionist from earlier. She held a small lantern, the soft glow illuminating the room and her face, which wore a smile far too sweet for the situation.
I lowered my hand slightly but kept my guard up. "And what exactly are you doing here? In my room? At this hour?"
She gave a casual shrug, as if wandering into guests' rooms in the middle of the night was the most natural thing in the world. "Oh, I just wanted to check on you, is all," she said, her voice honeyed and warm. "I heard about what you did to one of those men outside before you came in. Impressive, to say the least."
I raised an eyebrow, curious. "You came to check on me… because you were worried they'd come back for revenge?"
She nodded, her face remaining neutral. "You could say that. Around here, it's not uncommon for folks to end up dead in their beds. People talk, and some don't take kindly to newcomers who disrupt the order of things."
Her words were calm, almost casual, but something about the way she spoke didn't sit right with me. My gaze flickered to her hand, noticing the faint shadow of something behind her back—a sharp, thin outline. A knife.
My smile widened. "And that's why you're hiding a knife behind your back?"
The woman's smile faltered, her eyes narrowing. "Why would you think that?"
I pointed to the shadow on the wall, which flickered with the outline of the blade every time her lantern shifted. "The shadows aren't subtle," I said with a shrug. "And it's not exactly the best way to show concern for a guest's wellbeing."
Her face shifted, the warmth vanishing as she dropped the facade entirely. She raised the knife in her hand, its edge gleaming in the lantern light, her expression turning hard. "Alright, enough games. Hand over all your gold coins, now."
I couldn't help but chuckle, still sitting on the bed, entirely unphased by her threat. "So, that's what this is about? You're robbing me?"
"Oh, I'm not just robbing you," she sneered, the knife glinting dangerously. "I'm giving you the chance to make it out alive. Now, hand over the gold."
I kept smiling, then quietly activated Shadow Grip. Dark tendrils wrapped around her arms and torso, pinning her in place, her eyes widening in shock. She struggled, her knife clattering to the ground, but she couldn't break free.
"What… what is this?" she gasped, twisting against the shadowy restraints that held her.
I stood up slowly, walking over to where she was bound. I bent down, picked up the knife, and examined it. It was surprisingly clean for a weapon belonging to a receptionist of a rundown inn, almost pristine, which told me she took her "work" seriously.
Just then, the system chimed in my head.
[New Passive Skill Acquired: Keen Edge]
Skill: Keen Edge
Description: Increases skill with blades, enhancing precision and efficiency with cutting weapons.
Interesting. I smirked, feeling the faint awareness of my new skill as I held the knife. It was a good addition—a skill that made my strikes faster and more accurate. This woman clearly wasn't new to this game; the knife wasn't just a prop. And now I had her tool… and her trapped.
The woman's shock turned to fury, and she spat out insults, warning me of the consequences if I dared to hurt her. "You have no idea who I work for," she snarled. "Touch me, and you'll be sorry. The people I'm with won't let you off so easily."
I chuckled, giving the knife a quick, almost playful swish through the air. The blade moved in a fast, fluid arc, and a large chunk of her hair floated down to the floor. Her bravado faded in an instant, replaced by a flicker of fear as she realized how close that blade had come to her skin.
"Look, if you're really so 'untouchable,' you wouldn't be doing this kind of grunt work, now would you?" I said, voice low and mocking. "Let's be honest. You're expendable, aren't you?"
She clenched her teeth, her anger giving way to uncertainty. I leaned in closer, still holding the knife, my smile cold. "So here's what we're going to do. You're going to tell me exactly who you work for and why you're so eager to sneak into guests' rooms at night. Do that, and maybe I'll let you go. I'll even give you a gold coin for your trouble. Deal?"
She scowled, clearly hating every second of this. "I'm not telling you anything."
I raised an eyebrow, still smiling. "That's a shame. Because, see, I really don't mind what happens to you either way. My conscience won't lose any sleep if you don't cooperate."
She hesitated, her resolve faltering. She could see that I wasn't bluffing, that I had no qualms about following through. Finally, she took a shaky breath. "Alright, fine. I'll talk."
"Good choice," I said, loosening the grip of Shadow Grip just enough for her to breathe a bit easier, though she was still firmly trapped.