This was the worst day in Ringo’s life. 

 

He was now facing an enemy he wasn’t sure he could defeat. She was a pretty lady who dressed in a maid outfit.

 

If he were to tell this to his friends, they would definitely laugh at him. He knew because he would too if someone who was a trained assassin like him was to tell him that.

 

But—this woman in a maid outfit couldn’t be taken lightly.

 

Ringo was an experienced-fighter, so he could sense it when someone was truly strong. And this woman in front of him was one such strong person.

 

The aura she exuded was intense, way too intense that it could inspire death upon anyone who faced it.

 

Ringo’s body began to tremble. 

 

Just now, he’d just had a taste of this woman’s strength, which sent his short sword flying out of his hand. Not many people could do that.

 

Ringo began to think if this would be worth it. He was risking his life here, for what? A small sum of money?

 

Although 500,000 Val was a huge amount of money, but right now in Ringo’s eyes, it looked pale compared to the difficulty of this job.

 

He gritted his teeth and shouted out to his client, “Hey, Marko! This woman is too strong… Honestly, I don’t even know if I could defeat her or not. But I promise I’ll try my best if you raise the payment!”

 

Hearing this, Marko furrowed his eyebrows and grunted. “Are you kidding me? You want me to raise your payment just because your opponent is a frail woman? Hah! Don’t play wit-“

 

“Shut up!” Ringo shouted, interrupting Marko, “Don’t you see her aura? She is no ordinary woman! I’m risking my life here to protect your fat ass! So, here’s your last chance. If you increase the payment then I’ll continue to protect your ass. If not then I’m getting out of here.”

 

Marko’s face reddened in anger. “How dare you do this to your client! Are you trying to swindle me? Do you think I’m stupid!?”

 

Ringo sighed. “I’m not gonna wait here and argue with you. Raise the payment or I’ll leave. Choose. Now.” 

 

Ringo said in a hard tone, indicating that he was serious. Marko gritted his teeth. He wanted to argue but he couldn’t.

 

His other two bodyguards were already killed by that bitch. If Ringo was to leave him now then, he was as good as dead. 

 

“Alright, fine. I’ll raise the payment, you bastard.” Marko said with gritted teeth.

 

Ringo nodded his head. “Alright th-“

 

Before he could finish his sentence, the maid lashed at him again at an insane speed! 

 

On instinct, Ringo dodged the attack just in time, but—

 

*crack*

 

His mask suddenly began to crack and fell apart. Under that mask revealed a dark-skinned man with a surprise expression on his face.

 

Not letting him rest, the maid lashed at him again, but this time faster than before!

 

Ringo managed to dodge again, but her dagger had cut his right shoulder, leaving a deep wound under the torn sleeve. 

 

‘She was already that fast from the beginning, but now she’s gotten even faster!?’ 

 

Ringo gritted his teeth.

 

‘But, too bad… She’s in a bad position right now.’

 

A smirk appeared on Ringo’s face as he extended his hand toward the maid. 

 

[Psychokinesis]!

 

The short sword that edged into the ground suddenly came rushing toward the maid’s back!

 

Ringo smiled fiercely, but then—

 

*Clank!*

 

The maid parried the sword away without even looking back!

 

Ringo’s eyes widened in surprise. ‘Tsk! Does she have eyes in the back of her head!?’

 

Not letting him rest, a dagger suddenly came rushing at him like a lightning strike! But—

 

*whoosh!*

 

The dagger edged into the ground as Ringo’s body suddenly disappeared into thin air! 

 

A black shadow appeared on the ground and moved at an insane speed. It moved in all directions around the maid and kept appearing here and there.

 

[Shadow Movement]!

 

This was a signature skill of an assassin class. It allowed the user to turn into a shadow and move at an insane speed. This skill was very useful when using during the night, as the darkness would cloak the shadow completely.

 

The shadow kept moving here and there, rendering the maid confused!

 

The short sword on the ground suddenly disappeared, and in a flash, Ringo emerged from the shadow behind the maid with his short sword in hand, ready to stab her neck! 

 

*clank!*

 

The maid twisted her body to dodge the attack at fast speed, then turned around and parried the short sword away, sending it flying into the air again!

 

Before she could do anything further, Ringo turned into a shadow again and kept moving here and there. 

 

The short sword disappeared and soon after it came rushing out of the shadow, aiming toward the maid’s head!

 

*clank!*

 

Once again, the short sword was sent flying into the air and edged into the ground.

 

‘What the fuck!? How did she know where I’ll appear!?’ Ringo was astonished. ‘Does she have a Foresight or something!? That’s crazy!’

 

The sword disappeared into the shadow again as Ringo kept attacking the maid in the same pattern. But every time he launched his attack, the maid would parry his short sword away in the same manner.

 

She could predict where Ringo would appear like it was nothing! This was ridiculous!

 

Ringo had never faced someone who could do such a thing! His toughest opponent in the past gave him a hard time due to his AOE magic attack, but once Ringo turned into his shadow form, they couldn’t do anything other than continuously receive his attack until they died. 

 

But—that wasn’t the case right now. His current opponent could precisely predict where he would launch his attack, and counter it at an insane speed!

 

Ringo felt like he was fighting a losing battle.

 

After a while, the maid seemed to get annoyed. She suddenly closed her eyes and stood still in her place.

 

Ringo was surprised by the maid’s action. 

 

Was she trying to mock him? Was she telling him that his attacks were so obvious she didn’t even need to open her eyes to see?

 

Tsk! Ringo clicked his tongue as he became irritated. He was about to attack the maid again, but then—

 

*shik!*

 

Ringo’s body suddenly emerged from the shadow. He was on one knee with his eyes wide open. A dagger was edged into his chest.

 

He coughed out blood as his body began to tremble. 

 

“Hahaha… You monster… If you could do that in the first place, then… why did you wait till now..?’” Ringo said with a bitter smile.

 

The maid looked at him expressionlessly. “Nothing much. Just wanna see how far you can go.”

 

Hearing that, Ringo could only laugh bitterly. He gritted his teeth and pulled the dagger out of his chest.

 

“Urgg! Damn, that..hurts…” 

 

The maid's expressionless face suddenly turned fierce again as she eyed Ringo like a predator eyeing its prey. Her eyes glinted with a murderous intent!

 

She then slowly walked toward him with one dagger in hand. Ringo saw death approaching him and gritted his teeth.

 

He was about to die, getting killed by this monster. 

 

In his life, he killed a lot of people for money. This time it was his turn to be the one getting killed instead. Such a karma was normal for a sinner like him, but—

 

‘I refuse to die here!’ 

 

Ringo gritted his teeth and decided to use his last resort.

 

[Limit Break]! 

 

A violent white aura suddenly appeared around Ringo’s body. His muscles started to bulge as his veins appeared around his body. He knitted his brow tightly as his eyes turned bloodshot!

 

Ruby saw this and narrowed her eyes.

 

Limit Break was a skill that could only be achieved by the one who trained their body to the limit. It allowed the user to break through their limit and increase their strength and speed for a short period of time.

 

This skill was similar to Ruby’s Blood Sacrifice. The only difference was that Limit Break could only increase the user’s strength to a certain extent, while Ruby’s Blood sacrifice would allow her strength to keep rising continuously until the time limit was up.

 

And after the Limit Break’s effect wore off, the user would be left in the weakened state for 24 hours. That’s why many fighters would only use it as a last resort.

 

Even though her opponent got strengthened, Ruby was still confident in her victory. Right now, she was also strengthened by her forbidden skill, Blood Sacrifice, which was far superior than her opponent’s Limit Break.

 

Ruby’s eyes became narrower as it glinted in a dangerous light.

 

‘There is no point even if you use that skill!’

 

She lashed at her opponent at fast speed! 

 

Ringo also lashed at Ruby at almost equal speed!

 

They were about to clash, but then—

 

*whoosh!!*

 

Ringo dodged Ruby’s attack and ran past her. He then turned into his shadow form and began to flee at fast speed!

 

Swiftly, Ruby turned around and threw her dagger at the moving shadow, but it missed its target by a hairbreadth!

 

Her dagger edged into the ground. 

 

Ruby gritted her teeth and was about to follow her opponent, but then decided to stop.

 

It was frustrating to let her enemy go, but Ruby didn’t forget about the reason why she came here in the first place. She turned around, but then—

 

“S-Stop right there you bitch! I-I-If you come any closer, I’ll slit this knife into this bitch’s throat!” 

 

Marko barked while holding Luluka in his arms with a knife pointed at her throat!

 

Luluka wanted to struggle and break free, but this damn collar was preventing her from doing so. She could only stand there gritting her teeth. 

 

“You bastard! Let her go right now!!!” Ruby glared at the old man fiercely while clenching her fist. The black aura around her body became even more intense!

 

Seeing his tactic working, the old man smiled wickedly. “If you don’t want this bitch to die, then PISS THE FUCK OFF!!”

 

Ruby wanted to lash at the old man and kill him right here and now but she hesitated.

 

Even if her speed got insanely fast and she managed to kill him in a flash, the knife in the old man’s hand could potentially harm her mistress in the process.

 

What should she do? 

 

Ruby tried to come up with a plan, but time was running out.

 

“You have five seconds! Piss the fuck off right now!” Marko yelled and began counting down.

 

Ruby became more tense as each count passed by. She decided to back off for now and find a right moment to kill this fucking bastard, but then—

 

“Ruby! J-Just do it! Don’t worry about me, okay? I’ll be fine…” Luluka said, seeing Ruby hesitating.

 

“Bitch! Shut the FUCK up!!” The old man strangled Luluka with his arm and pointed his knife at her temple.

 

“M’lady!!” Ruby shouted out in panic, seeing her mistress suffocating in the old man’s arm.

 

Ruby clenched her fist tightly as she glared at the old man with an even fiercer murderous intent!

 

‘Alright, it’s settled. This FUCKING BASTRD is a dead meat!!’ 

 

A black aura around Ruby’s body became super intense as she decided to kill this bastard right now!

 

“H-Hey! D-Didn’t you hear what I said!? I-I told you to piss the fuc-“

 

*shik!*

 

The old man couldn’t finish his sentence as blood came out of his mouth!

 

With a trembling body, he slowly turned around and his eyes widened in shock. “R-Ruri… Y-Y-You….”

 

Then, his body fell onto the ground, showing a short sword edged into his back. Ruri stood there with his hands clutching his collar, looking suffocated.

 

“Ruri!” Luluka shouted out.

 

Ruri pried one eye open and took a look at Luluka’s face for one last time. He then forced a smile on his face. “B-Bi..g si…s..t..er… Go..od…b..y..e”

 

*boomm!*

 

Blood splattered as Ruri’s neck exploded from the collar’s grip. 

 

His head danced into the air until it plopped onto the ground. His headless body followed after with a thud.

 

A silence filled the forest for a while…

 

“R-Ru…ri…” Luluka’s eyes went blank as she called out the boy’s name.

 

She staggered toward Ruri’s headless corpse and looked at it. 

 

Seeing blood and gore from Ruri’s corpse up close, her mind snapped back to reality.

 

She fell down on her knees with her hand covering her mouth. Tears slowly gathered in the corner of her eyes.

 

“RURIIIII!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

 

Luluka’s cry rang out loudly in the forest. 

 

Her heart was in an agonizing pain. She cried her lungs out at the loss of her new friend whom she promised to protect. 

 

Not only was she unable to fulfill that promise, her new friend even died such a tragic death….

 

Ruby saw her mistress in such a state and felt like she was about to cry too. Intending to comfort her mistress, she reached her hand out.

 

“M’lad-“

 

Before she could finish her sentence, a large shadow suddenly latched out from the forest and snatched her right arm away!

 

Luluka swiftly turned around to look at her maid. Her eyes widened as it slowly began to fill with despair.

 

With wide eyes, Ruby’s body fell onto the ground…