The severed head of Whisper rolled to a stop at Azel’s feet.
The dead man’s eyes were wide open, frozen in a look that was somewhere between shock and pure, primal fear.
It was very satisfying to see the man like that for him, after all Whisper had been one of the characters he hated geniunely from the bottom of his heart.
In the game, Whisper had been one of the most infuriating bosses.
A lowly gifted assassin at first glance, but given enough time, he evolved — refining his so-called Assassin’s Code art with daggers until he was an unstoppable shadow.
He’d eventually go toe-to-toe with the main character and nearly kill him... only to die in a ridiculous display of plot armor.
But that served him right, he was an annoying man... How does one monologue about their past and still strike you down with a hit that’ll take half of your HP?!!!
"I’ve always wanted to one-shot you," Azel muttered with a grin.
He’d spent hours — no, days on his old runs trying to beat this guy.
This time, Whisper hadn’t even lasted a minute.
He stepped over the corpse and glanced down the hallway.
The bodies of the other assassins lay scattered like discarded dolls, the air thick with the smell of burnt flesh and iron.
The stone floor was slick with dark stains, a grim testament to the speed and precision of his ambush.
He had been smart about it after all, who in their right mind faces assassins head on?
They’d been standing in front of the door.
The door Edna was behind.
Inside, she was trying to convince the others to move quickly.
The servants had already been evacuated — perfect timing for them to picture the "Tragic death of the empress."
He leaned casually against the wall, letting the moment of silence stretch while he thought back on the fight.
The system store had been his real ace.
It let him tweak the design of his arrows, and he’d gone a step further — the tips of the arrow detonated with aura when they connected..
The opening move had been a beauty.
First, the Illusion Gas.
It was hidden inside the shaft of his second shot that was close to Whisper, though Azel wondered if the person was close to him which was why he had stopped when he had shot the assassin.
But when it landed, Whisper had stopped in his tracks, staring at the person then at Azel with that murderous glare before... slowing.
And then charging for the door.
The illusion was immediate but the people were relying on their instincts, it seemed they had memorized their interiors... because they moved instinctively, but soon they reached here; there had been no servants in the hall since they already evacuated the moment the knights and assassins clashed.
But to be honest the Emperor was doing a bad job, Edna didn’t even have a private guard.
But that aside as they were heading for the door, they got caught in the hallways he had doused in soap.
Yes — soap.
Slippery as ice, coating the polished hallway floor.
It had been stupidly cheap in the store, and now it was one of his favorite tricks.
The assassins had tried to sprint forward, only to skid, stumble, and crash.
By the time they’d regained footing, the arrows were already flying.
Explosive heads, precise aim — one after another, each detonation rattling the hall with shockwaves.
Limbs fell, bodies dropped, and Whisper managed to dodge the shot surprisingly, his instincts were still high but after that the illusion took full effect.
He began fumbling in the air for a door, staring around the hallway like he was in a different place and then froze him and shouted his name.
Azel smirked. "Not so scary now."
Still, part of him was curious.
What had Whisper seen in the illusion?
What kind of nightmare had him clawing at thin air and spinning around like a madman?
’Well... not like it matters.’ He swiped his hand through the air, pulling up the familiar blue glow of the system screen.
[Mission completed in record time.]
[Rewards doubled. Bonus granted for preventing significant casualties.]
[Congratulations!]
[New Title Acquired: King of the Bow]
[King of the Bow: There once was a man who needed no sword. His arrows felled armies, brought down giants, and pierced the hearts of demigods. Legends say the sun itself dimmed when he drew his bow. You walk that same path.]
[Effect: Any shot you take will be 50% more accurate, so long as you truly wish to hit your target.]
Azel blinked.
"Demigods? Really?" He rolled his eyes, though he couldn’t deny the bonus was insane.
Fifty percent more accuracy wasn’t just a boost — it was cheating.
Still, the dramatics made him snort.
[Quest Completed]
[Quest: Protect Edna Starbloom, her daughter, and the other heroine from the assassins.]
[Rewards:]
[200 Fate Tickets]
[2000 Fate Points]
[20 Golden Tickets]
[1× Special Dungeon Key]
[Additional Rewards]
[Necklace of Protection]
[1× Summoning Card]
[1× Fake Corpse (One-Time Item)]
"Double rewards, but the dungeon key stays at one? Figures..." Azel muttered, scrolling through the list.
The Summoning Card tempted him — he could bring in another hero-class ally right now but that would have to wait.
Still it was exactly what he wanted right now.
It was the last item that caught his attention.
Fake Corpse.
When he tapped the description, his eyes lit up.
Perfect.
This wasn’t just some novelty — it was a flawless decoy, indistinguishable from a real body.
It would fool even magic-based scans for a short period.
And right now, it was exactly the thing he needed to make everyone think Edna was dead.
His plan formed instantly.
"Azel?"
The voice was calm, but there was a tremor under the surface.
He turned toward the door as it creaked open.
Edna stepped out, her face pale but composed.
"We’re ready."
Azel nodded and walked in behind her. The sight stopped him cold.
The two girls were clinging to their mother, tears streaking down their cheeks.
Edna held them tightly, her own hands trembling despite her effort to hide it.
One girl’s sobs were muffled in Edna’s dress; the other’s small fingers clutched her sleeve as if letting go would mean losing her forever.
For a moment, the system notifications faded from Azel’s mind.
He saw the weight in Edna’s eyes — not just fear, but the burden of not wanting to leave.
She looked up at him then, and for the briefest heartbeat, her gaze softened.
"It’s time to go," he said quietly.
His tone carried no room for argument.
Edna nodded, brushing the girls’ hair gently before urging them to stand.
Azel could tell she wanted to say something — to him, maybe to them but instead she simply gathered herself and straightened her shoulders.
Naelia turned to Azel, her eyes still slick with tears but grateful.
"Thank you Azel... Thank you so much." She said with a teary smile.
[Congratulations, The Forgotten Heroine ’Naelia Starbloom’ has reached Maximum affection points]
[Congratulations, The Emotionless Heroine ’Ira Valein’ has reached Maximum affection points]
[You have gained a new status]
’What the fuck?’