Chapter 5: Putting Down A Monster
The negative effects were instantaneous. Leonard felt his breathing grow rougher, his skin turn paler, and his mana pathways constrict, halving the amount of mana he was able to restore.
[Hardened Physique lessens the impact of the harmful toxin by 80%.]
Leonard regained control over his respiratory system, yet the obstruction caused by the poison still lingered in his veins.
His Hardened Physique wasn’t able to counteract the toxin internally. Leonard didn’t have the luxury of waiting for the poison to disperse. There was still an assassin who eagerly wanted to claim his life.
"You feel that hit, don’t you?" The assassin sneered. "Don’t worry. Once I cut your throat, the pain will stop!"
With Leonard slowed down, the man became certain of his victory. Pressing the advantage, he went for the kill, bloodlust burning in his eyes.
Usually, when awakeners got caught up in the thrill of delivering the final strike, they tended to unintentionally leave blind spots.
Before the assassin’s talon knife could slit Leonard’s neck, the mist that had quietly drifted through the forest surged, concentrating into a figure.
Distracted in the heat of battle, the man spotted Joker far too late.
"A goblin?!" The man exclaimed, glancing downward between his legs.
Assuming the form of the goblin Leonard had recently killed, Joker slipped under the assassin’s guard low enough to target the ankles.
Even the strongest awakeners had weak spots, and Joker exploited that vulnerably.
Attacking with the creature’s claws, Joker slashed the assassin’s ankles with surgical precision.
Though shallow, the wounds disrupted the assassin’s footwork. Thrown off balance, the man felt his legs betray him, and he toppled to the ground.
Unable to get up, the assassin glanced upwards only to witness yet another Lightning Strike headed for his head.
"Not like this!"
With a roar, the man sacrificed his dominant hand to divert the strike.
The corners of his eyes welled with tears as the pain of losing an arm overwhelmed him. Using his other hand, he propelled himself, attempting to pitifully crawl away.
"How?!" The assassin murmured in panic. "The target used several Lightning Strikes in quick succession, and he even sustained a summon on top of that! There’s no way trash with a Common Bloodline could possess this much mana just hours after awakening!"
The man’s heart rate quickened in realization. "Either I was set up, or the information was wrong! That kid isn’t as untalented as he appears!"
Desperate, the man spun. Leonard was coming closer with each passing second.
"L—Listen! Let’s talk this out!"
Giving up on running away, the assassin pleaded, pressing his severed arm with his palm.
"By the looks of it, you’re young, and I doubt you’ve ever killed anyone! Letting me go benefits us both! Think about it! You’ve made your stance clear. I absolutely won’t try to get revenge on you later, and you’ll be able to sleep soundly tonight with no blood on your hands!"
However, his pleas fell on deaf ears.
"You made an attempt on my life, and now you have the arrogance to beg for mercy?" Leonard remarked in disgust.
"How many people have you killed in your line of work? You seem experienced, but your attributes are lacking. Let me guess... you deliberately kept your level low to avoid undergoing an ascension and choosing a class. Rather than targeting high level individuals you prey on unsuspecting victims who don’t know any better."
When an awakener reached Level 10, they underwent an ascension, which granted them the ability to choose a class. This was one of the main ways to gain skills and traits.
The hitman sent after Leonard was at least twice his age and an assassin yet didn’t possess the expected high attributes. The fact that he seemed almost like any other ordinary man was an indication that he did not possess a class.
"Okay, I admit it! Assassinating low level targets was easy work, and it paid well, so I stuck with it. But I swear, I see the error of my ways now. I’m a changed man! So spare me! Otherwise, the guilt of killing a fellow human would haunt you for the rest of your life!"
"There is no guilt." Leonard declared, raising his axe. "I am simply putting down a monster."
With a swift strike, the assassin’s life ended.
"Remember, I was not the one who struck first." He whispered to himself.
[You have defeated a Level 6 Human]
[Notice: To discourage members of the same race from killing each other, any experience gained from slaying your kin is reduced by 99%.]
[Primordial Bloodline stirs in your veins.]
[Primordial Bloodline reduces the penalty for killing same-race members to 50%.]
[You have gained 50 experience.]
Killing other humans normally granted little to no experience, which was why the assassin had been able to eliminate many targets without ever undergoing an ascension.
In Leonard’s case, the experience penalty had been greatly reduced, thanks to his Primordial Bloodline.
With the battle over, Leonard shifted his gaze towards Joker.
"I did the correct thing... right?"
Meeting his gaze, Joker shrugged and dissolved into a mist.
Leonard heaved out a sigh and headed back. He didn’t want to worry Miranda.
As for the assassin’s remains, it wasn’t strange for bodies to occasionally turn up in the dark forest. Monsters often dealt with them, and even if the corpse was found, there was no way to trace it back to him due to the poor surveillance of the Lower Sector.
The only ones who could possibly suspect a thing were those who had sent the assassin.
"It’s ruined..." Leonard inspected his double-headed axe dejectedly.
The weapon was long overdue for replacement, preferably with a higher-quality one, since fighting was bound to become more frequent after his awakening.
Leonard didn’t delude himself. He knew that whoever wanted him dead would not stop after a single attempt. Stronger and more experienced hunters would eventually come for his head.
In that regard, he had been fortunate. Mistaken for someone with a Common Bloodline, those who wanted him dead hadn’t bothered to pay for any of the more costly alternatives.
Determined to protect himself and punish those who had falsely accused his father, Leonard returned to his apartment, the effects of the Grade 1 toxin still faintly lingering in his body.
"Young Master!"
He had been careful not to wake Miranda, yet by the time he turned the knob, she was already at the front door waiting for him.
During his absence, she hadn’t gotten a single wink of sleep.
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