Chapter 44

Chapter 4 Eyelid (17)

***

Snap!

Rakshasha, who smiled as softly as a hill covered in daffodils, pulled out the dagger stuck in the table. It was a strange sight. The blood-soaked dagger suited this delicate woman so well. I couldn't look away from her slowly stroking the sharp edge with her hand.

"Guest, relationships are about gradually discovering each other's hidden sides, don't you think?"

Clang!

When she flicked the side of the blade with her slender fingers, the dried blood flaked off, revealing a silver blade that was eerily clean.

"And since a commission is also a form of relationship, how about we each answer one question for the other...?"

The professor, with a dazed expression as if under the influence of a drug, began to assess the situation coldly.

'An expert. That blade... it's like an extension of her hand. She's incredibly skilled with daggers. She didn't get the Master position by just playing a game. The drug when she entered, her attire and actions, the slight tension at the end—all designed to cloud the mind and take control of the conversation. Yes, this is how the Moon Shadow Guild accepts commissions...'

If you look at it positively, it's a setup to maximize the group's interests. If you look at it neutrally, it's a guild that doesn't deserve its name. And if you look at it negatively? They're just dirty bastards. People who need to be in a dominant position in any relationship. For the Moon Shadow Guild to be the top thieves' guild in Rodric, their methods are surprisingly low-level.

"Alright, I'll ask my first question."

Rustle—

Her fingers, which had returned to the back, gently combed through my hair, and the dagger began to trim it.

"This is..."

"I saw the wanted poster, and you were drawn like a beast. I thought if I tidy up your hair, you might look a bit better?"

Swish!

The sensation of the sharp blade grazing my neck was chilling. A very alluring threat.

"First, as a client, I want to know if the Moon Shadow Guild members have the skills to cause enough commotion to get the city guard and the knights moving."

Swish—!

"Showing your back! Fool—Gurk! Gaaah!"

Crash!

The thief who had been waiting for an opportunity was grabbed by the neck by the professor and struggled, but soon collapsed like a broken puppet.

"Second, I'm curious if you know that if you refuse this commission, I might get extremely angry, given how harshly I've been treated."

Whirr—

Snap!

The professor threw the man he was holding, smashing the door leading out. The man, with his legs twisted in strange directions, groaned and then collapsed. One step. Now, the distance was close enough for a blade to reach if he extended his arm.

The professor's footsteps stopped in front of Rakshasha.

"Lastly, I wonder if you know that if I get extremely angry, your shabby guild might not just suffer damage but could collapse. Well, will you answer me, Master?"

Crack.

Her exposed upper body was within striking distance, where she could stab vital points six times in an instant.

The professor, who had just locked eyes with Ranaya, who was smiling like a frosty blade, looked like a villain threatening the lives of the guild members, despite his frail appearance.

***

Silence.

After what felt like an eternity, the tension broke when someone swallowed their saliva.

Snap!

"Alright. Let's do it that way."

The sound of clapping in the tense atmosphere almost made me flinch.

She seemed to be in the same boat, as a few of them stumbled.

'Phew! The bluff worked!'

In reality, a direct confrontation would have been difficult. Because,

Ding!

[Honorable Soul: 'Threatening a lady... that's unacceptable. Though my family has fallen, as one who carries the honor of a knight, I cannot do such a thing!' / You have performed a dishonorable action. Shocked by your own evil, you are paralyzed for 30 seconds. / If you continue to perform dishonorable actions, you will suffer from 'Suicide Impulse Level 25' for 5 minutes.]

The status window had been flashing red, and the moment he mentioned the guild members' lives, a message appeared, paralyzing his body. Despite his tough act, he could only blink and mumble. What was 'Suicide Impulse Level 25'? Wasn't the highest skill level in this game 10?

In any case, he was in no condition to fight them. The message would probably have been something like, 'Striking a lady! What a mistake! Repent with your life!'

"Um~ Mr. Client? Shall we move to a different location?"

"I don't know. Given what just happened, I'm a bit scared of the seat you're suggesting?"

"Hehehe, that's understandable. But isn't it impolite to refuse when a lady invites you to her place? It hurts my feelings?"

She covered her mouth with her small hand and laughed, then disappeared into a passage that opened in one of the walls.

Whoosh!

The tension in the room reached a peak. Ignoring the surrounding armed men, he focused only on the dark passage.

'Dangerous.'

He realized this when he faced her with the intention to attack. Even without the constraints of other characteristics, he couldn't win in this state.

'Rakshasha is now completely on guard. She called me here alone, in an unknown place, deep in the lair of an assassin... Is this too risky a gamble?'

As he hesitated, a chat window in one corner of the room began to tremble.

- SoySauceGuy: What are you hesitating about! You should be running with tears of gratitude!

- DeerDrug: Go! Professor! Hurry!

- TakeALook: Take one step back. If you do, endless posts about your shriveled balls and questionable gender identity will flood the community. I'm serious.

- Holy: Me too! I want to see! A woman's room! I'm so curious!

- NutriaJina: Go in! I'm getting dizzy!

"Alright! Alright! I'll go in!"

Yes, at this point, it was all or nothing. He didn't know of any other guilds besides this one.

Having made up his mind, the professor moved towards the dark passage that seemed to be waiting for him with its mouth wide open.

***

The professor walked along the dark passage, feeling the walls. Walking, walking, and walking some more...

"What kind of passage is this, so long!"

"Well, it's a secret passage?"

"Whoa!"

Suddenly, a voice whispered in his ear, and the professor instinctively swung his fist.

Crack!

His hand broke miserably, leaving a fist-shaped mark on the wall. Rakshasha's laughter echoed from behind.

"My, how surprising."

"How long have you been following me?"

"Hmm... since the moment you entered the passage, I've been walking right beside you?"

Indeed, she was an assassin. Despite his heightened alertness, he hadn't noticed her presence.

"Come this way. The passage branches off in many directions, and it's hard to find your way without night vision?"

In the pitch-black darkness, Rakshasha's hand touched his arm. The sensation was as smooth as satin, and he involuntarily swallowed hard. Her hand slowly traced down his arm, reaching his regenerating fingers.

"This is really... an unusual talent. I have a keen interest in human anatomy and have studied it extensively, but this is the first time I've seen someone like you. Well-trained, soft, and quick to heal. How is this possible?"

She seemed genuinely curious, pressing on his shoulder blades, grabbing his wrist, and caressing his trapezius muscles.

[Stop, Shell, I can't take it anymore. This... this is a stimulation you haven't accounted for... I can't hold on...]

'Find a way! You're in my head! Try to manipulate hormones or sensations!'

Entering this place was a mistake. Rakshasha had completely changed her attack strategy based on his earlier reaction. From his strength to his weakness!

Rustle, rustle.

In the darkness, the sound of thin fabric brushing against each other stimulated his imagination.

"Your body, created by a mage's experiment... the even distribution of magical reactions suggests you've also studied magic?"

"A, ah, yes, something like that."

"Wow, how rare."

- SoySauceGuy: Professor! Snap out of it! Conversations between men and women are no different from a weaponless battle! If you let yourself be swayed, it's over!

- SoySauceGuy: If you keep showing that indecisive and naive side, you'll be completely devoured!

- Professor: How can I control it when my body won't listen! And no weapons? She has two large and terrifying weapons! I'm unarmed! It's unfair!

- DeerDrug: What weapons? You have the powerful artillery your parents gave you—!

- Professor: Shut up!!! Don't stimulate my imagination!!!

- Gunpowder and Blood: There's no hope. From combat experience to combat power, there's nothing where you have the upper hand. Accept your defeat and become the victor's trophy.

"Hmm... what are you thinking so deeply about?"

"About the sea of the East and the erosion of Mount Baekdu..."

"?"

Damn! I can't focus! Please, stop clinging to me! No, cling more! No, that's not it— damn it!

Click—

Just as the professor's inner self was waging a fierce battle, she suddenly stopped.

"Oh, we're already here? What a pity."

'I, I'm alive! I won! Father in heaven, see this! I didn't give up!'

It was really dangerous. If the time had been a bit longer, he would have given up and knelt, saying, 'Wah! Sister, take me!'

The door opened in the darkness, and bright light flooded in. The air was refreshing, as if it could cleanse the lungs with a single breath. A soft fragrance of tea wafted through.

"Is this... a tea shop?"

"It's a salon I run personally. You can get a lot of information from high-end salons in the city center."

She smiled softly, speaking with pride.

***