Chapter - 36
Right now Leo felt like his lungs were burning. His whole body felt so heavy.
Sweat dripped into his eyes, mixing with the blood of the killers. He also felt the Shadowweave Tunic had gone rigid, the movements felt stiff.
But three assassins still remained.
Now none of them charged on their own. They circled him, their eyes not leaving him for a wink. They realized he wasn't some pampered noble or an amateur adventurer.
He was a problem.
Across the room, the nobles who had been trying to recover were sprawling on the floor or clinging to tables. Some were still coughing from smoke. Some were crying. Some just stared at the sight in front of them in terror.
Someone whispered, "Gods… What is he?"
Another voice shaking with fear spoke, "Monster… He's a bloody monster…"
"Mr Leo… He is so strong!" One of the women spoke, awestruck.
"Only Mr Leo can save us," Another woman was already dreaming about the hero, saving the beauty.
Lord Caelum wasn't speaking. His face was drained of color, jaw clenched so hard his teeth looked ready to crack.
The Baron who was hiding in the far corner looked at the dead soldiers and then at Leo with stars in his eyes. This boy, he was already in his eyes.
Aliana on the other hand was gritting her teeth in anger. Useless, everyone was so fucking useless.
The High Priest stared at Leo with horror as if he was a devil straight from hell.
And Lady Seraphine. The true damsel stood frozen behind the pillar with her hands over her mouth, eyes wide as if she wasn't sure whether to faint or run to him.
Leo didn't look at her long. He couldn't afford to.
One of the assassins smirked and flicked his blades, " You are one tough bastard. You managed to kill 4 of us."
Leo spat blood onto the marble, "Then come try me, dipshit."
"Enough. He must be getting tired. No need to drag it."
With that, one of the assassins lunged first, fast and swift.
Leo was quick to dodge right, but the second assassin was already there, swinging upward. Leo blocked with his dagger, sparks flying as iron met iron.
And just the third man rushed in from behind, going for Leo's ribs.
"Shit—!"
Leo twisted, barely avoiding the full stab, but the blade grazed his side, and it sliced through the armour.
Leo's face twisted in pain. The nobles gasped.
[HP: 900/1000]
But the Shadowweave Tunic took the brunt of the damage.
The assassin was gloating for a moment before realising that Leo was still standing, looking at him with death stare. Leo grabbed the wrist of the killer who tried to cut him and slammed his forehead into his nose.
CRACK.
The assassin staggered back, nose crooked, blood pouring. But Leo didn't let him recover, he drove his dagger into the man's throat and dragged it across brutally.
The sight of the dagger cutting his bone was so gruesome that the ladies turned their gaze away.
The assassin dropped, clawing at his own neck until he collapsed and stopped moving.
[Assassin Defeated: +40 EXP]
Leo didn't even care about the notification.
Only two were left.
The remaining assassins exchanged a quick glance, they had started to get nervous.
One of them muttered, "Should have charged more."
The other hissed back, "Shut up and kill him!"
They rushed him together.
Leo blocked one blade, but the second assassin was already slashing at his face. Leo instinctively raised his hand, trying to block the attack. But he forgot. He had already thrown his other dagger away.
The dagger of the assassin slashed through Leo's uncovered back of the palm. His skin peeled open and blood started dripping fast.
"ARGH—!"
At that moment Leo felt his body turn white. His brain dizzy for a second.
[HP: 850 / 1000]
[Stamina: 18]
But Leo was quick to shake it off. He kicked the first assassin away from him and using that momentum jumped away. And in that process, Leo grabbed the assassin who slashed him with the back of his head and slammed his head into a pillar.
But once was not enough. With the other assassin far away, he slammed his head again into the pillar. Then the third time, Then again, and again and again.
CRACK!
Finally the skull of the assassin cracked before the assassin slid along the pillar, bleeding, barely alive.
Leo grabbed him by the hair and whispered in his ear:
"You should've stayed home tonight."
Then he jammed his dagger through the man's eye.
The body twitched violently, then went limp.
[Assassin Defeated: +40 EXP]
Leo dropped the corpse like trash.
One left.
The last assassin looked at the bodies and swallowed. His bravado was gone. His hands shook around his blades.
Leo grinned, bloody, exhausted, furious and excited.
"C'mon, dude. Don't get chicken feet now. You were real chatty earlier."
The assassin's jaw clenched. He roared and charged.
Leo braced himself, but the assassin wasn't going for the kill. Not immediately.
He feinted low, then spun and kicked Leo's injured side. Leo was running low on stamina. And no matter what, these assassins were better than your average human.
Leo could not react on time. And was struck on the forearm as he tried to protect his ribs.
Leo choked on pain and stumbled.
Before he could recover, the steel flashed again and he slashed him again on the other palm. The assassin understood one thing, he can slash his fancy clothes to pieces, but his armour protected him.
So he could only target the unprotected.
The assassin's sword plunged into Leo's left palm, piercing from the back of his hand and coming out of the other.
Blood burst out from both sides.
"Uggghhhh!" Leo wanted to scream, but he used every bit of his might to hold himself.
Seraphine's voice echoed across the hall, "LEO!"
Aliana grinned from ear to ear. That's it. Finally!
The Baron frowned. It was too early for Leo to die.
Lord Caelum stood halfway up the stairs with one of the guards with complicated emotions.
[HP: 780 / 1000]
Leo grabbed the assassin's wrist by his other hand trapping the blade inside his own flesh.
Blood ran down his fingers.
"Bad. Fucking. Move, bastard!"
The assassin tried to yank the blade loose as panic started rising. But Leo wasn't letting go.
[HP: 770 / 1000]
With his free hand, Leo stabbed the assassin in the stomach. Once… Twice… Three times. The sound of the flesh being punctured echoed in the hall.
The assassin wheezed, coughed blood, but still clung to life.
Leo looked him dead in the eyes.
"No respawn for you."
Then he twisted the dagger and shoved it upward tearing through organs, bone, and into the chest cavity.
The man's body twitched for a few breaths before finally his body went limp.
Leo ripped his arm off the blade as the body fell.
[Assassin Defeated. +40 EXP]
Silence.
A thick, suffocating silence.
Broken only by Leo's ragged breathing and the distant crackle of dying flames.
He stood drenched in blood, exhausted, barely holding himself upright.
His left arm hung at his side uselessly, blood gushing out non-stop.
[HP: 760 / 1000]
He turned slowly, his eyes locking on Seraphine.
She didn't move.
She didn't speak.
She just stared terrified, stunned and awestruck.
Leo forced a grin.
"My lady… remind me… next time… don't invite psychopaths to parties."
His knees buckled.
He collapsed onto one hand, blood dripping to the floor.
Seraphine rushed forward, her dress dragging through blood without a care.
"Leo! Don't move… Don't… You are bleeding!"
"No shit," Leo groaned, trying to laugh but sounding half-dead.
Lord Caelum approached slowly, guarded, like Leo was a wild beast that might leap at him.
Leo looked up at them all and smirked, "Somebody… Get me a healer…"
"Or… At least a drink…"
He tried to step toward her, intending to offer a hand, but his leg refused to support him. He stumbled.
And then, Aiva's voice cut through his mind. It wasn't her usual calm, informative tone. It was urgent.
[WARNING! Neurotoxin detected in the bloodstream!]
[Source identified: The assassin's blade.]
[The blade that wounded you was coated in 'Viper's Kiss', a Grade-B lethal neurotoxin.]
[STATUS EFFECT APPLIED: VIPER'S KISS]
[Effect: Rapid paralysis, organ failure, and death.]
Leo blinked. His vision was swimming. The edges of the room were turning dark and fuzzy. The pain in his arm wasn't just a throb anymore; it was a burning fire that was spreading up his shoulder, into his neck, into his chest.
[HP: 700 / 1000]
After a few seconds, Aiva informed again.
[HP: 690 / 1000]
Then soon it was down again.
[HP: 680 / 1000]
The numbers were dropping fast. Too fast.
"Ah... shit," Leo muttered.
The strength vanished from his body entirely. His knees buckled, and he pitched forward.
He didn't hit the floor. Soft arms caught him.
Seraphine caught him disregarding the blood that soaked his clothes. Her knees hit the floor hard as she cradled his head in her lap.
"Leo!" she screamed, her voice cracking with panic, "Leo! Stay with me! Look at me!"
Her face swam in his vision. She looked terrified. Genuinely, scared.
The doors to the side chamber burst open. Dozen of fresh soldiers rushed into the hall under the lead of Captain Valerius.
"What happened?" Captain Valerius barked, scanning the dead corpses on the floor.
He saw the Lord on the stairs with a single guard, the Lady of Dargan house on the floor, holding the bloody commoner, "Lady Seraphine! Are you hurt? Is he dead?"
Lady Seraphine looked up at the Captain and then at her husband. Her face transformed. The fear vanished, replaced by a mask of cold, protective fury.
"He is hurt, you fool!" she shrieked at the Captain, but her words were directed at the Lord of Auravale. "He is dying! Because of your failure! Your traitors! Your useless soldiers!"
Caelum stepped back, stunned by her anger. The guards hesitated, The Captain flinched..
"My lady, let us take him..." The Captain bent down, reaching for Leo.
"Get away from him!" Seraphine roared, slapping the Captain's hand away, "Don't touch him! All of you! You have done enough!"
She turned her gaze to the one person who might be able to help. High Priest Remus was peeking out from behind his table.
"Remus!" she commanded, her voice echoing with authority, "Get over here! Heal him! Now!"
Looking at the angry Lady, the High Priest scrambled over, almost falling twice on the way. He looked at the wound, at the black veins spreading from the cut. He paled.
"Oh dear... oh dear..."
"Do it!" Seraphine yelled.
Remus placed his hands on Leo's chest. A faint, white light glowed from his palms. "Blessing of Light... Purge this evil… Break the shackles of darkness…" he chanted.
Leo felt a brief warmth, but the burning fire in his veins didn't stop. It just got hotter.
[System Alert: Divine Magic detected.]
[Slowing poison progression by 50%...]
[WARNING: Toxin potency exceeds the caster's level. Neutralization failed.]
[HP: 670 / 1000]
[System failure imminent in... 26 minutes.]
Leo coughed, blood bubbling past his lips, "Useless..." he wheezed. "Useless old fraud..."
Seraphine looked at the Priest, her eyes narrowing with frustration, "It's not working! Why isn't it working?!"
"The poison..." Remus stammered, backing away. "It is too strong. I don't know what it is. Without the specific antidote... There is nothing I can do. He is... he is gone, My Lady."
"No," Seraphine whispered, "No! Get away you fraud."
'Aiva...' Leo knew everyone else was going to be useless, 'Get me the Minor Healing Herb.' He thought in his head.
[Master. The Minor Healing Herb in your inventory does indeed possess potent detoxifying properties. It may not cure the poison completely, but it will stabilize your condition and collect the poison in one place, forming a dissolvable cocoon around it.]
[You will have nearly 72 hours before the poison acts again.]
[HP: 660 / 1000]
Leo's hand twitched. And suddenly the Minor Healing Herb appeared in his bloody palm.
"Lady Seraphine..." he choked out.
She leaned down, her ear to his lips, "I am here, Leo. I am here."
"Herb…" he whispered, "In ha… hand…"
Though it was barely audible, Lady Seraphine understood it loud and clear.
She checked his hands and saw the green plant clutched in his hands.
"This?" she asked, holding up the dried plant.
Leo blinked once. Yes.
"Eat it," she ordered, trying to push it into his mouth.
Leo tried to open his mouth, but his jaw was locked tight. He stared at her, helpless.
"I think he body is getting paralysed," The High Priest spoke up, "He can't eat on his own."
Seraphine saw the panic in the High Priest's eyes. She looked at the High Priest, who was shaking his head. She looked at her husband, who was watching with a complicated, unreadable expression. She looked at the servants running around uselessly.
There was no water. There was no wine. The bottles were shattered on the floor.
She looked back at the herb in her hand. And then at Leo's dying face.
A resolve hardened in her eyes.
Without a second of hesitation, she shoved the bundle of dried, bitter herbs into her own mouth. She chewed furiously, grinding the tough plant matter into a paste, ignoring the foul taste.
Then, in front of so many curious and complicated eyes, she grabbed Leo's face with both hands, forced his lips apart with her thumbs, and smashed her mouth onto his.
It wasn't a romantic kiss. It was desperate. It was primal.
She used her tongue to push the chewed herb deep into his mouth, forcing it down his throat. She kissed him deeply, sharing her breath, willing him to swallow, willing him to live.
Leo felt the soft, warm pressure of her lips. He tasted the bitter herb and the sweet taste of her saliva. His throat worked reflexively. He swallowed.
[Minor Healing Herb Consumed.]
[Detoxification Initiated...]
[Poison Stabilized.]
The burning fire in his veins cooled to a dull ache. The darkness at the edge of his vision receded just a fraction.
Seraphine pulled back, panting, a trail of saliva connecting their lips. Her mouth was stained green. Her chest was heaving. She stared down at him, her eyes fierce and possessive.
The Great Hall was dead silent.
Lord Caelum stared at his wife, his face a mask of complicated, dark emotions.
Leo looked at the woman who had just saved him, then slowly turned his head in the direction of Lord Caelum and a slow smirk appeared on his face, before he closed his eyes.
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Author's Note:
This is the last free chapter. I hope you will let me know how the story has been so far. So do leave a review if possible, and vote with power stones.
Thank you
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