...

"Mr. Karl!"

As evening approached and the shop was about to close, the guard Jie came over and whispered, "Mr. Charlie instructed me to give you a gift. Please follow me after the shop closes."

"Oh!" Carl stopped his accounting and looked up curiously. "What gift?"

"Mr. Charlie ordered me to keep it a secret," Jie said with a smile. "But I can assure you, you'll definitely like it."

"Really?" Carl nodded. "I am looking forward to it."

「Shortly after.」

As the sky darkened and the shop closed, Carl followed the guard Jie towards the outskirts of the market.

"Mr. Karl," Jie spoke softly. "You come from the distant Kaliem Continent and are a disciple of the Six Rings Tower. You're accustomed to a peaceful life, but the Magic Forest is different from your former home. It's fraught with barbarism and slaughter."

"You'll need time to get used to it. Mr. Charlie's gift will help you adapt to this environment."

Uh... Actually, I am not from the Kaliem Continent, and the slaughter I have seen is probably worse than here. But what exactly is this gift?

Shaking his head, Carl didn't explain but asked, "How much further?"

"We're almost there," Jie said, pointing ahead. "Just over there!"

He pointed towards an area on the outskirts of the Leipzig Market, where houses were sparse and there were no passersby.

As they drew closer, Carl's pace gradually slowed. His sharp senses made him frown unconsciously. "Are you sure this is it?"

"Absolutely," Jie nodded vigorously. "This is the place."

With that, he took several steps forward and knocked on the courtyard door.

"Coming!"

A middle-aged man with a blue silk bandana and a small mustache opened the courtyard gate. Seeing the two of them, he gestured. "Please come in!"

Carl didn't hurry inside. Instead, he took out his Magic Wand and waved it lightly.

Scouting spell!

A faint halo emerged from the Magic Wand, rippling towards the courtyard, sweeping over the ground, the house, and the man who had opened the door.

"This gentleman is very cautious," the man with the small mustache said with a smile. "But don't worry. Although we deal in assassination, we won't harm our guests."

"Please!" With that, he bowed again, inviting them in.

Carl put away his Magic Wand, nodded at the man, and followed Jie into a room resembling a hall.

Two people were standing in the room: a man and a woman. The man had a scar running from his forehead to his chin, and the woman's eyes were cold. Carl had seen such people at Freedom Port. They were specifically responsible for killings, commonly known as Assassins. His gaze paused briefly on the pair before settling on the long wooden box placed askew in the center of the room.

"Hehe..." the man with the small mustache chuckled as he walked in. "This target is a hot commodity. Even the Capes family put out a kill order on him."

"Luckily, we were a step ahead and secured the head!"

Saying this, he signaled the scarred man to open the wooden box.

CLICK!

The lid flipped open, revealing a head inside. A stick was inserted below it.

The head belonged to someone familiar.

Simon!

They really did get his head!

"AH!"

"AAAAH..."

Simon, reduced to just a head, was somehow still alive. A stick, substituting for his body, was supporting his life in some special way.

As the lid was opened, the previously muffled screams burst forth.

"It's him." Carl's eyes lowered, and he sighed with resignation. "Since it was done, why did Brother Charlie insist I come see it for myself?"

No wonder Jie said this gift would help me adapt to the chaos of the Magic Forest. So, this is what he meant.

"We're businessmen. Naturally, we need the employer to confirm the merchandise," the man with the small mustache said with a smile. "Sir, please inspect the goods!"

"..." Carl waved his hand. "We were colleagues, after all. There's no need to torment him. Just kill him."

"Alright!" The man with the small mustache nodded. The scarred man beside the wooden box then pulled out a dagger, aiming it at Simon's head.

"Carl!" Simon shouted, his eyes wide. "I'm just one step ahead of you! Do you think you're safe?"

"Dream on!"

"AH!" He screamed loudly, but could only watch as the dagger pierced his head.

「Meanwhile.」

Carl felt a sharp pain in his chest. He slowly lowered his head, only to see a bloodstained sword tip protruding from his chest. Besides the blood, a hint of azure coated the blade—clearly some kind of toxin.

What's going on?

He looked back in astonishment.

"Sorry." The man with the small mustache, still holding the sword, maintained his smile. "I accepted a contract to kill Simon, but I also accepted a contract from Simon to kill you, Mr. Karl."

"So... I'm really sorry."

Carl opened his mouth, then finally shook his head, speechless. "You local Assassins really don't play by the rules."

Huh?

Carl's reaction startled the man with the small mustache. His eyes widened, and extreme fear rendered his body immobile.

Tentacles appeared before his eyes.

Fear Aura!

Abyssal Bloodline!

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