The man's eyes flew wide in shock and disbelief as his body became numb. It was like he could no longer move from where he stood, as though some unseen force held him back.
Was it because he was now staring into Zavry's blazing eyes?
'Please calm down, Zavry. This will only make things worse. You know we have limited time, and in order to kill the prince silently and leave without you having to kill any guards who spotted you…let him go,' Rune's convincing words rang in Zavry's head.
Finally, Zavry let the man go. The rain had lessened, though it still fell lightly.
As the man's body regained movement, he shifted his gaze.
"You dare cast a spell on me, you sorcerer?" he growled, his voice rising in anger as he avoided Zavry's eyes, clearly afraid of being hypnotized again.
'F…fifteen minutes left,' Zavry murmured to himself. His expression turned calm, the blaze in his eyes faded. He opened his palm, and a see-through blade formed in his hand.
'Let's get this over with,' he thought.
The man stood frozen in utter shock. How had this sorcerer managed to summon a blade from thin air? In fact, it didn't even look like a normal knife—it was all blade, pure and gleaming.
Before he could fully comprehend it, Zavry flung the blade. It sliced through the rain and vanished into the darkness beyond the gate.
The man chuckled mockingly, lips curling in relief as his earlier fear dissolved.
"Seems like you missed. Better—"
His words died instantly. A choked cough escaped his lips—followed by blood as it dripped down his chin.
His eyes widened in shock as the blade burst out from the back of his throat and slit through the front. His body collapsed against the gate, eyes open and lifeless as the rain gently struck his face as if now mocking him. The umbrella he once held rolled to the floor.
Zavry's lips curved into a grin.
"At least you were right about one thing—I missed the better spot," he muttered, slipping his hand into the man's pocket and retrieving the gate key. Calmly, he walked to the gate's center and unlocked the padlock.
"Bro, you have to be quick about this. The prince isn't just any rank..he's a B-rank. I'm sure he already sensed something off. This would've been easier if he was just an E-rank," Rune said through their link.
Zavry chuckled inwardly. As he finished unlocking the gate, he pushed it open and responded through the mind link.
'Patience is the key,' he replied coolly, tossing the key aside. His hands slipped into his pants pockets as he strolled forward like he had all the time in the world.
Rune didn't understand him. This wasn't the time for jokes…
'One more thing,' Zavry added calmly as he moved through the compound. The guards remained unaware—they couldn't see him. He had made himself invisible.
His eyes shifted upward, landing on a small balcony area....the one supposedly close to the prince room.
'Never underestimate an E-rank,' he whispered, leaping up swiftly. He landed gracefully on the railing and revealed himself, becoming visible once more. He moved to the closed, see-through window and slowly raised it open.
"Seems like Mr. Prince Charming will be having a permanent sleep tonight," he chuckled darkly to himself.
Rune was silent now, praying time would slow down as they didn't have much left.
Zavry squatted at the window, slipping into the room. It was dimly lit as the main light was not turned on just the bedside lamp.
As Rune had predicted, the prince was already standing, alert, his eyes calmly fixed on Zavry.
"What do you want?" the prince asked, assuming a fighting stance his eyes tared at Zavry coldly as he observed him for his next move.
Zavry simply pointed at him. That caught the prince off-guard. As he was about to speak…before he could even think—Zavry moved. The prince's body shifted backward as he instinctively dodged, a sigh escaping his lips in relief.
But nothing had happened.
Zavry hadn't even attacked.
He stood there at the other side of the room, casually taking a glass of water and drinking it. As he gulped it down, his eyes scanned the room for a bathroom.
'How many minutes left, Rune?' he asked.
Rune's voice came low and defeated. He had given up. At this rate, they'd be going back to level one.
'Three minutes.'
Zavry finished the last drop as the prince observed him warily, trying to figure out this unpredictable man. Then, in a flash…as if time stopped—Zavry moved again. He flung the glass upward, shattering it against the ceiling. As the shards began to fall, Zavry's legs shifted and he kicked each piece midair, launching them toward the prince with speed and precision.
The prince dodged swiftly, but it had all been a trap. His focus was on the flying shards that he had not realized Zavry's movement.
He had been so focused on dodging the shards.
Zavry moved like lightning, slashing him clean in half with the poisonous blade.
The prince's body fell in two, sliced like a cucumber chopped into half.
Blood splattered across Zavry's clothes.
"Tch."
A small glowing ball rose from the prince's chest, but as Zavry shifted his hands to cover it, it vanished instantly.
Zavry moved quickly to the bathroom—he had been holding in his pee for a long time.
'We need to leave,' Rune warned.
Just then, loud banging echoed from the door…a guard had noticed and when one does all starts searching.
'Five… four… three… two…" Rune counted worriedly.
Zavry's hands moved swiftly, and a portal opened before him. Without hesitation, he stepped into it just before it closed.
Rune sighed heavily.
'That was close, Zavry. You really need to start taking your missions seriously,' he scolded.
'Isn't it awesome, though? Prince Charming died in his own luxury,' Zavry replied, chuckling darkly.
He moved through the straight line of space within the portal until he reached the door to his main world. He opened it and stepped back into his small room—only to be greeted by a strange smell.
Zavry's eyes widened as he cursed inwardly.
'Shit.'
He leapt up the stairs, swung open the door and was welcomed with a blazing gift.
His house was on fire.
What made it even more surprising was the cause, the noodles he had cooked before leaving.
He had forgotten to turn off the gas.