Modret's mind screamed at the danger in front of him. He hadn't expected to encounter another assassination attempt so soon.
'I was also poisoned?' This attack was nothing like the crude one from before. It was clean, organized, and terrifyingly precise.
From analyzing the fact that his parents would be absent today, to preparing a fragrant meal that masked the scent of the poison, to the maid acting pitiful and helpless so he'd lower his guard—everything had been perfectly orchestrated.
Modret was horrified. He wasn't dealing with a simple enemy this time, but a calculating expert. There was no time to dwell on it—the poison was already surging through his veins like wildfire.
His limbs felt weak, refusing to move even the slightest bit. Modret groaned, and then his heart skipped a beat as that strange sensation from before returned.
It dragged him back to that helpless time when he'd still been a baby. This time, the faint scales on his skin shimmered gold, stronger and more tenacious than before.
A low growl escaped his lips as he crouched down, glaring at the maid, whose expression was frozen in shock.
"A monster?" she trembled slightly, her face twisted with disbelief. "The young master is actually a monster?"
Suppressing her surprise, she steeled herself. Her order was absolute—to deliver Modret's head. She didn't care why the young master was a monster.
Swoosh!
She closed the distance between them in a flash, her gleaming dagger arcing straight for Modret's neck.
Though Modret hadn't learned how to fight in either of his lives, instinct kicked in—he dodged!
The dagger only grazed his neck, and to the maid's shock, a metallic clang rang out on impact.
"Huh? His skin's as tough as a sword?" she muttered. "I can't delay or the plan might fail. Time to use my ability."
Her voice was barely a whisper, but Modret heard every word. His heart pounded violently.
He was facing someone with an ability. Could he survive this?
Thankfully, the partial awakening of his bloodline had suppressed the poison's side effects, buying him some time.
His mind raced for a plan, but he didn't have the luxury to think for long.
A green glow flared around the maid's body, and her speed spiked sharply.
'She has a speed-type ability?' Modret's pupils shrank as he threw himself aside.
Bang!
The dagger stabbed cleanly into his back, hurling him into the wall with brutal force.
His head spun. His vision swam. His body felt sluggish and numb.
The maid smirked. "Finally dead. He lasted a while. I can't believe he actually had the bloodline of a beast."
Her voice was calm, almost casual, as she slowly approached his limp form. She raised her dagger, aimed for his head, and slashed down.
Bang!
A mist of blood and gore sprayed through the room, and a figure stiffened.
It was… the maid.
Crouched like a four-legged beast, Modret growled softly, golden scales glinting faintly on his body. His clawed hand dripped with blood.
His expression flickered with a manic light as he stared at the maid, whose face still carried the shadow of triumph. But her eyes held disbelief—as though she couldn't accept that her neck had been crushed by a little boy.
Crash…
Her head tilted, a fountain of blood spraying outward as her body collapsed lifelessly to the floor.
Seeing she was truly dead, Modret's scales slowly receded into his skin. His body hit the ground hard.
The poison surged again, numbing his limbs, dragging him toward the darkness. His eyelids grew heavy, and his consciousness faded away.
[Obtained a Shadow Servant.]
[Obtained a D-Grade Movement Ability.]
[Gained 100 Shadow Fragments.]
The fairy floated silently nearby, praying for Modret.
She couldn't interact with the real world, so calling for help was impossible.
Fortunately, a servant entered the house—the one responsible for cleaning.
The moment she stepped inside, her body froze at the bloody scene. A scream tore through the air.
The scream spread through the manor like wildfire, summoning servants from every corner.
Some scrambled frantically toward the meeting hall where Donald and his wife were gathered.
Bang!
"What?" Donald was stunned, and Anna's eyes widened in fury as the trembling servant delivered the news.
White flames erupted from her body, incinerating the table and chairs. She shot out of the room at lightning speed, silently praying for her son.
If anything had happened to him, she wouldn't hesitate to slaughter every servant in the Azarel manor.
Donald followed closely, his heart burning with the same fury. This was their child.
When they arrived, the servants quickly stepped aside to let them through.
The place had been cleaned to perfection, and the maid's corpse had mysteriously disappeared.
Modret had also been cleaned and laid neatly on the bed. Beside him stood a woman in white robes—one of the healers.
Seeing the faint rise and fall of her son's chest, Anna's tense heart finally loosened.
"Healer, how's my son?" she asked, masking her rage and fear. It was unbearable for a mother to face her child's second assassination attempt.
The healer glanced at her and offered a faint smile. "You don't have to worry. He was poisoned with a neutralizing agent, but I've dissolved it and removed its effects."
Anna let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. As long as her son was safe, that was all that mattered.
Her gaze hardened as she turned to the servants. "What happened here?"
They trembled and turned toward the maid who had found the scene first.
She quickly explained everything she had seen. Anna's frown deepened, her expression sharpening.
"You will take responsibility for everything that happened," she said coldly, raising her hand.
A burst of white flame erupted from her palm, engulfing the maid in an instant. She turned to ash before she could even scream.
The other servants went pale. Anna didn't spare them a second glance and turned back to her son.
The servants fled in a panic. None of them had expected the calm and collected Anna to be this ruthless.
She couldn't care less what they thought. She had vented her fury.
Then she walked slowly toward Modret, her gaze softening as she looked down at him, love and worry etched deeply in her eyes as she patiently waited for him to wake.