While the chaos unfolded below, Xenon had already left and made his way to the second floor of the pavilion.
[+1 Hate Points]
Xenon scoffed. That was the total he had earned from those two girls—just as expected from ordinary humans. Well he doesn't mind it he did it purely for entertainment, after all.
As he walked down the hallway, he spotted the beautiful women again. She was heading in the opposite direction.
Their eyes met, and Xenon smiled, but her gaze remained cold.
When they were close enough, Xenon muttered, "Can you give me some of your poison?"
The moment the words left his lips, the girl stopped in her tracks. Xenon halted as well.
Without hesitation, she drew her blade and slashed at him.
Like the wind, Xenon swiftly dodged, his smile unwavering.
"Who are you!?" she demanded.
"I am Xenon."
She remained silent, her cold gaze locked onto him, her stance still guarded.
Xenon smirked. "Don't worry, I'm not your enemy. If I wanted to, I could kill you in the blink of an eye."
The girl stayed on high alert, her icy glare unwavering.
"I know you want to kill someone," Xenon continued. "And you know it won't be easy. If you need help, just say my name."
He turned and began walking away.
"Wait… I don't know how you know this. And I don't know if I can trust you."
Xenon stopped and glanced back over his shoulder.
"I know because I'm strong and smart. And I don't give a damn whether you trust me or not."
He chuckled. "Just one thing—if you want my help, say my magnificent name. If not, good luck."
As he turned the corner, disappearing from sight, his voice echoed one last time.
"Oh, and by the way, if you choose to accept my help, the price is simple—you'll warm my bed tonight."
The girl was left speechless.
Her name was Flare, and she truly had no idea if her assassination attempt today would be a success.
Success or failure—one would mean success, the other, death.
She took a deep breath and resumed walking. Based on what she had seen, Xenon was at Martial Apprentice Stage 9, but he was far stronger than the average Stage 9.
What made it even more astonishing was that he was the same age as her. For him to reach that level at such a young age was nothing short of genius. Even she, at Martial Apprentice Stage 7, was considered a prodigy—but compared to Xenon, she was nothing.
One thought lingered in her mind: That guy is definitely not simple.
Flare arrived at a VIP room and stepped inside.
There, she saw Madam Greta and Sage Delman.
Delman's hands were groping Greta's chest, kneading it like a stress ball.
Greta, the owner of Spring Flower Pavilion, was only 38 years old and a Stage 9 Martial Apprentice. At this level, one could live up to 150 years, meaning she was still young and in prime condition.
Flare's eyes burned with killing intent upon seeing Delman, but she forced herself to suppress her emotions and act normal.
"Greetings, Madam Greta. Esteemed Sage Delman," she said with a respectful bow.
Delman stopped what he was doing and turned to Flare. A few seconds later, he burst into laughter.
"Good! Very good!" Delman grinned. "You truly never disappoint me, Greta."
"Thank you, Sage Delman," Greta replied with a smile.
"I'll be leaving now, so you can enjoy your time, Sage Delman."
Greta glanced at Flare. "Do your best to satisfy him," she said sternly.
Flare nodded slowly.
The door closed, leaving only Flare and Delman in the room.
Delman approached her with a smirk. "What's your name?"
"Flare."
Now standing right in front of her, Delman's grin widened. "Let's have a little talk before the fun begins."
Flare's eyes burned with fury, but she kept her expression neutral.
She had envisioned countless scenarios for this assassination. Yet now that her target was right in front of her, all rational thought had vanished.
All she could think of was killing him.
Cut off his head. Burn his body. Kill. Kill. Kill.
Delman, his face twisted with lust, inhaled deeply. She smells divine.
He was already planning to take her as one of his wives—though, in truth, his so-called "wives" were nothing more than toys for his pleasure.
Delman reached out to touch her hair.
Flare snapped.
'Screw it! Just one scratch! One scratch, and it'll be over! Even if he kills me after this, the poison will do its job. It'll all be worth it!'
With lightning speed, she pulled out her dagger and slashed at Delman's throat.
But she had underestimated the gap between a Martial Warrior and a Martial Apprentice.
Even Xenon—who was Stage 9 Martial Apprentice—had easily dodged her attack.
Delman, a Martial Warrior Stage 1, was far beyond her.
With a swift step back, he effortlessly dodged the strike, his face turning ice-cold.
"What the fuck is this!?" he growled.
Then he noticed the floor melting where her dagger had touched it—poison.
His expression twisted with rage. "You bitch! Who sent you!?"
With inhuman speed, he struck her stomach with his fist.
Flare was sent flying across the room, crashing through multiple walls.
Blood spilled from her mouth. Dizzy, vision blurring, she struggled to stand.
Before she could react, Delman was already in front of her. He grabbed her hair, yanking her up.
He knew now—this girl had planned everything. She had come to assassinate him.
But she had failed.
Cracking his neck, he examined her beautiful face. A sinister smirk formed on his lips.
He had no intention of killing her.
She was far too valuable.
"Tell me, who are you really? Where did you come from?"
A thought crossed his mind.
"Wait…" His smirk deepened. "Are you one of the kids we kidnapped and experimented on?"
Flare's eyes flared with raw hatred.
Seeing her reaction, Delman burst into laughter.
"Ahh… I see now!" He chuckled. "Nine years ago, Kaji, the Imperial Guardian of the Blue Water Empire, attacked one of our bases and freed many of our experimental subjects."
He yanked her hair harder.
"You must be one of them."
Flare trembled with rage.
Delman's grin widened. "What a pathetic life. When we kidnapped those children, we slaughtered their parents right in front of them. You must have seen me do it, didn't you? Watching us experiment on helpless kids—hah! Now, after all these years, you've fallen into my hands again."
He dragged her across the floor.
"And this time, you'll become my personal slave."
Delman let out a twisted, devilish laugh.
"Don't worry, I'll make you my favorite—until your will is completely broken."
As he rambled on, Flare remained silent, blood dripping from her lips.
Her injuries were severe.
She closed her eyes and whispered.
"Xenon…"