"You want to become an assassin in the underground world and even aim to be the leader of an assassination organization?"
Hearing Wood's intentions, Elsa was clearly taken aback. To her, the idea of someone like Wood, with his strength and status, aspiring to become an assassin was utterly unheard of.
Those who lurked in the shadows of the underground world were like rats in a sewer, despised by society. Many were forced into such a life with no other options, and by the time they wanted to wash their hands of it, they found themselves too stained with blood to find a place of redemption.
Someone like Wood, whose background was clean and whose abilities were formidable, could easily become a knight, a profession most people could only dream of.
Yet here he was, saying he wanted to enter the underground world and take over an assassination organization. This was something Elsa had never expected.
Wood: "What? Do you think I'm not qualified? Or do you believe your current leader is so strong that I won't be able to defeat them?"
Elsa: "No, I'm just surprised that someone like you would want to join the underground world and become one of us."
Hearing Elsa's response, Wood understood what she meant and chuckled. "You're not assuming I'm some sort of justice warrior, are you? Besides, the underground world doesn't necessarily mean it's all darkness. Just like the nobles in their fancy clothes, they aren't necessarily good people either."
Elsa was visibly shocked by Wood's words. From his attire, he looked like someone of noble birth. And having dealt with nobles from various kingdoms, Elsa knew all too well what sort of creatures they were. Yet Wood, standing before her, gave her the impression that this nobleman was somehow different.
"Enough small talk. Are you going to take me to meet the leader of your organization, or should I just kill you and find another assassin to ask for directions? I don't have time to waste."
Elsa wasn't someone who necessarily had to be killed, but once Wood took over the assassination organization, she would become part of it, and he didn't need disobedient subordinates.
"I can take you to our leader, but don't expect me to help… Actually, I don't think you'd need my help anyway."
Sensing the killing intent emanating from Wood, which was more than just empty threats, Elsa finally relented. But the real reason she agreed was because of Wood's earlier words.
Being shrouded in darkness didn't necessarily make someone evil, and those who basked in light weren't always righteous. Only fools and weaklings cared about such distinctions. The wise and strong wielded their weapons for their own beliefs.
Elsa was born in the northern kingdom of Gusteko, with no parents to care for her, surviving by drinking muddy water.
One day, while stealing from a shop, she was caught by the owner, who stripped off her clothes with the intent of taking advantage of her. Elsa had grabbed a shard of glass and sliced open his stomach.
That was her first kill, and from there, she had no choice but to enter the underground world and become an assassin.
Her childhood experiences had twisted her, giving rise to her obsession with slicing open her victims' stomachs, which earned her the infamous title of the Bowel Hunter.
At first, joining the assassination organization had been out of necessity, but over time, the lifestyle consumed her, and Elsa's personality became more and more warped, eventually growing into the bloodthirsty killer she was today.
She had begun to enjoy the warmth of blood and intestines, developing a perverse fascination with them…
As the years passed, Elsa came to view herself as one of the sewer rats of the underworld.
But if Wood became the new leader of the assassination organization, maybe he would change things for the better… At the very least, it would be more interesting than things were now.
"Before I take you to meet the leader of the assassination organization, I want to introduce you to someone else first. She's also a member of the organization."
Wood didn't object to Elsa's request. After all, there was no rush to become the leader of the underground world just yet. Elsa had decent skills and was one of the top assassins in the organization.
If she was willing to follow his orders, Wood didn't mind giving her some perks.
After all, there weren't many black stocking-wearing ladies like her in this world, and even fewer as attractive as her.
The next day, Elsa checked out of the inn after bandaging her wounds. When paying the bill, the lecherous innkeeper ogled Elsa's curvaceous body before clicking his tongue in envy at Wood.
It was obvious the innkeeper saw Wood as a corrupt noble out having fun with a beautiful older woman. Given Wood's appearance and aura, it was hard to imagine anyone not believing he was a noble.
What a shame, the innkeeper thought, that such a beautiful woman in black stockings had been ruined for a few measly coins by a spoiled noble.
Elsa, noticing the innkeeper's indecent gaze, tightened her grip on the curved blade hidden under her cloak. She was ready to rip out his intestines to see what they looked like. But before she could act, Wood grabbed her wrist.
"Don't cause unnecessary trouble if you still want to be one of those sewer rats."
Wood's icy glare made Elsa feel like she had been plunged into freezing water, and her maniacal expression quickly faded, replaced by calm.
Wood sighed, tossed a silver coin onto the counter, and led Elsa out of the inn.
He had figured it out by now—Elsa was clearly a problem child. Her traumatic childhood had warped her into a psychopath who couldn't help but want to gut people she didn't like.
Once they left the inn, Elsa reverted to her usual seductive demeanor, a stark contrast to the crazed look she had worn moments before. If he hadn't seen her unhinged side firsthand, she could have easily passed as a normal person.
After leaving the inn, Wood and Elsa traveled for two days. During this time, Elsa tried more than once to kill random passersby and pull out their intestines, but each time, Wood stopped her.
Of course, Wood didn't always intervene. When Elsa targeted abusive nobles or tyrants, Wood simply stood by and watched.
However, Elsa's methods were always excessively brutal, leaving the scene so bloody that Wood often lost his appetite.
Over these two days, Elsa found herself growing more comfortable in Wood's presence.
Because of her traumatic past and the orders from "Mother," Elsa often killed without purpose. But after each murder, she would sometimes sink into deep regret.
Her twisted personality meant that whenever she slipped into a frenzy, it was as if a switch had been flipped, and she couldn't control herself.
She had once believed that she would forever be a bloodthirsty executioner.
But since meeting Wood, Elsa felt like she had begun to change…
Wood's presence was like a limiter. Whenever she was about to lose control, his cold gaze could instantly bring her back to her senses.
And his principles were clear—he only stopped her from killing those who didn't deserve to die.
This feeling was new to Elsa. It was a balance—she could still feel the warmth of intestines while avoiding the regret and guilt of killing innocent people.
And with every time Wood stopped her, Elsa felt like she was slowly learning to control her urges.
After killing yet another bloated, pig-like slave trader and extracting his intestines, Elsa sighed contentedly.
Meanwhile, Wood, who had watched the entire event unfold, looked displeased. "So, where exactly is this person you're leading me to? I get the feeling you're deliberately taking me on a long detour. If it's that far away, we should have just ridden drakes from the start."
After releasing the women and children captured by the slave trader, Wood glared at Elsa, clearly irritated. He felt certain that she was toying with him.
"You're imagining things. The location of Meli's hideout is just remote, so I'm not too familiar with the way. And crossing the forest on drakes would have disturbed the magical beasts, so walking was the safer option."
Elsa sounded so convincing, yet in truth, she was lying through her teeth.
She was indeed leading Wood in circles, dragging out their journey on purpose.
It wasn't that Elsa had any ulterior motive or desire to betray Wood. Rather, during these past few days with him, Elsa had found a new sense of purpose in life.
The thanks she received from the freed children and women made her feel like she had been redeemed.
Among those young girls, Elsa saw a reflection of her younger self.
Her past could not be undone, but her present offered a chance at redemption.
As for the person they were searching for, her name was Meli Portroute, and she was also a member of the assassination organization. However, she was barely older than the children they had just saved.
Meli, a girl with sky-blue hair tied into a ponytail, was no more than twelve years old.
Her childhood wasn't much better than Elsa's. Abandoned in a forest as a child, Meli had been raised by magical beasts due to her unique constitution, living among them until Elsa rescued her during a mission and brought her to serve "Mother."
"Mother" was not their actual mother but rather the leader of their assassination organization.
Having been raised by beasts and later taught by someone as twisted as Elsa, it was no wonder Meli's personality was… complicated.
Meli idolized Elsa, admiring her for surviving under "Mother's" rule while remaining strong. She blindly emulated Elsa's way of life, mimicking her speech and developing a killer's mindset.
She was like a child, still searching for her identity, trying to imitate someone she looked up to.
Elsa's hope was that Wood could change Meli for the better.
In Elsa's mind, she was a lost cause. But Meli was different—she was just starting her journey as an assassin.
Meli's personality was shaped by her environment. She was still at a stage where she could be saved.
If she could escape "Mother's" control, Meli might have a chance at a normal life.
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Don't forget to give Power Stone
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