I smile, though there's no warmth in it, only a cold detachment. "I obviously only said that to make you talk obediently. It's interrogation tactics 101, my guy…"
His eyes widen, realization dawning too late. He opens his mouth to say something else, maybe another plea for mercy, but I don't give him the chance.
Before he can utter another word, I pull the blade sharply toward myself. The strange sealed saber slices through his neck with a sickeningly smooth motion, exactly as I'd imagined. There's a brief moment of resistance as the steel meets bone, but it gives way with a loud crunch, the head severing cleanly from the body.
Warm blood splashes against my hands creating a rather disturbed feeling within me.
Hosted-on-MVLeMpYr
The soldier's head falls to the ground, rolling a short distance before coming to a halt in the grass. His body collapses forward lifelessly and rather unceremoniously if I may say so. I watch as the blood pools around the stump where his head once was and see the crimson liquid soaking into the earth, enriching its soil.
I'm very happy to see that I don't feel any sick sense of joy or pleasure from going through with this gruesome act of mine.
I can officially title myself as a normal person, not a psychopath.
Though, to be fair, me not feeling much remorse after decapitating a random guy just to satisfy my curiosity isn't a great sign either.
Wait…
Am I a psychopath?!
… At the very least, I don't think that I'm on the correct path towards earning the right to unlock the Healer class, which according to Ayame are only granted to those of a noble, altruistic heart.
Fuck… Will I have to keep spending my hard earned coins on stupid health potions my whole life? Unless I manage to live for centuries, they are a better bang for buck deal than purchasing one of those horribly overpriced Healer slaves… I grumble inwardly while wiping the blood from my blade on his uniform.
Now that I think about it, how does this work exactly? The Goddess approves of one's noble heart, allowing him or her to become a Healer, then a bad person comes along and the Healer gets enslaved. Then what? End of story? No divine retribution or at least a heavenly declaration of being a heretic? Strange…
Anyways, with the deed done, I straighten up, feeling that familiar rush of satisfaction as the system dings in my head to confirm the kill and XP obtained.
"You are a bit unhinged, aren't you?"
"I was just curious, sue me, woman. Also, you are not one to talk, castration specialist." I chastise her, and I'm also confident in saying that she's not a complete virgin when it comes to the art of decapitation. Even if she herself didn't go through with it yet, which I doubt somewhat, she must've seen it a couple of times as the future head of clan.
"Tch."
"How about instead of talking back to your benevolent master you move your pretty little behind and earn me some Slave Master XP?"
She scoffs again and refuses to meet my eyes. I get no response.
I glance towards where I believe the outpost to be located. It should be a couple miles from our current position. We can't do much more for now than to wait for Blossom's efforts to begin showing their worth, though I can't help but be worried. Based on her initial scouting report I didn't expect so many strong people to be stationed here. 𝐫α₦ŐBÊ𝘴
My plan of simply putting a few meats with a rich smell around the camp to bait some monsters might not be enough, for the soldiers could probably dispatch them in mere minutes.
I can only hope that Blossom pulls off a miracle and goes beyond my expectations, or the plan will have to be called off and I might never get the chance to become a Wizard.
"GRRRROAARRR!" "GRRRROAARRR!" "AWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"
The earth below my feet suddenly shakes from the sheer energy of these monstrous howls. I can tell that they are miles away from me, yet I feel my existence being threatened just based on the mighty sound of these horrible creatures, and if I'm not wrong there's a lot of them. How did she achieve this with a few chunks of meat, and in such a short time at that? I can't help but wonder...
… Just what kind of calamity did that airhead girl bring down on this place?
Anyhow, it's now or never.
Whatever Blossom managed to summon is heading straight for the camp, and by the sound of it, they're going to give the soldiers one hell of a fight. This is exactly what I wanted- utter chaos to cover our infiltration.
"Time to move," I whisper to Ayame, who nods in silent agreement. We slink through the forest foliage, keeping low and making as little noise as possible. The soldiers out here are either already dead or too incapacitated to put up any resistance, but that doesn't mean we should get sloppy. If any of them manage to raise an alarm, we're screwed.
The first soldier we come across is leaning against a tree with one hand while his other is clutching at his stomach as he vomits what looks like bile. The poison is doing its work perfectly, rendering him useless without killing him outright.
Rest in peace. I say my good wishes as I drive my saber through his back horizontally, slashing alongside his spine in a long, devastating arc.
[You've Slain Footsoldier Corona (Level 7). You've Gained 170 XP.]
[Assassin lvl 8 → 9]
One more level to go…
We continue moving through the outskirts of the camp, dispatching the few remaining soldiers we come across with little to no resistance. They're all in varying stages of sickness, some barely able to stand, others already unconscious. It's almost too easy, like picking fruit from a low-hanging branch.
As we get closer to the camp's interior, the sounds of battle grow louder. The roars and howls of whatever monsters Blossom summoned are punctuated by the shouts of soldiers and the clang of weapons. The battle is still a good distance away from us up to the north, while we're approaching from the south. This gives us some breathing room to work with, but we need to be quick and silent.
If the outpost's guards manage to repel the monsters too quickly, we'll be in big trouble.