Chapter 104: The Woman in the Gray Robe, Leinas Appears
2024-11-18 Author: Amnesty L
Imina's hands tightened on the dual blades at her waist, her palms slick with sweat. Her cold face showed a gravity she had never revealed before.
The atmosphere grew oppressive.
"Are you sure you want to fight four of them alone?" Tang Zheng's calm voice came from behind her.
"If you're not planning to run, that's for the best." Imina's eyelid twitched. If the circumstances weren't so dire, she would have loved to unleash a torrent of the foulest curses.
The last time they met, Tang Zheng had given her a sense of danger, but Imina still didn't believe that an alchemist with such a great talent for alchemy would waste his energy on combat.
She wasn't skilled in close combat, and the guy behind her was a magic caster, who was likewise inept at fighting up close.
Therefore, the current situation was exceedingly dangerous.
Tang Zheng glanced at Imina with some surprise. Their relationship was, in reality, more like one of an employer and employee, and a verbal agreement at that.
Faced with such a situation, Imina hadn't actually fled on her own. This was rather out of character for her.
"What are you spacing out for? Use all the enhancement magic you know on me."
Imina lowered her voice, holding the short blade in her left hand horizontally across her chest while her right hand kept its blade low by her waist. She lowered her upper body, resembling a cheetah about to pounce on its prey.
As a Half-Elf, she was considered an outsider in the eyes of both Elves and Humans.
Even though the Baharuth Empire wasn't a country that was particularly hostile towards Demi-humans, she had never been free from those gazes of disgust and alienation.
Of course, she hated those people just as much.
Only the man behind her had never looked at her with that sort of gaze since the very first time they met.
"Sorry, I haven't mastered any magic like that." Tang Zheng spread his hands.
The corner of Imina's eye twitched twice.
"Hey, hey, are you done chatting?" Not far away, the foremost of the three face-wrapped invaders spoke with a mocking laugh.
The man held a silver short sword the length of his forearm. Under the moonlight, it glinted with a chilling light.
"We don't have any malicious intent. We just want to invite the esteemed alchemist to come with us."
The man with the short sword spread his arms, his tone exceptionally relaxed.
According to the information received from their employer, the only troublesome things around this alchemist were that Lesser Soulhound and the Half-Elf woman.
"Honestly, a half-breed mutt like you shouldn't be an eyesore here. Don't you know how disgusting you look? No chest, no ass. I thought you were a man."
Another one of the three, a man holding a chain, draped it over his neck and spoke tauntingly to Imina.
Veins bulged on Imina's fair, slender neck, but her expression remained unchanged as she maintained her guarded stance.
"This prey is ours, so please leave, won't you?" The man with the short sword turned his head to look at the figure shrouded in a gray robe standing by the main gate, his tone a cold warning.
The gray-robed figure paid the three invaders no mind, instead speaking in a pleasant, clear voice: "It looks like you've run into some trouble."
"Need a hand? No payment required."
When she said the word "payment," a clear hint of a chuckle entered the gray-robed figure's melodious voice.
*A woman?*
Imina's gaze faltered for a moment, then an annoyed expression appeared on her face.
Those words, "no payment," were clearly directed at her.
"Bastard!" The man with the chain among the three cursed coarsely, clearly having heard the disdain for them in the gray-robed woman's voice.
"You're courting death!"
The man with the short sword raised a hand. "You two go deal with that Half-Elf. Leave this one to me."
As soon as the man's voice fell.
"Acceleration!"
The man with the short sword flickered and vanished, lunging toward the gray-robed woman.
But the next moment!
The gray-robed woman appeared before him at an even faster speed and, before he could react, smashed a vicious fist into his chest.
*Crack!*
The sound of breaking ribs echoed through the courtyard. Before the man could even scream...
The gray-robed woman crossed her hands, clamped them around his neck, and twisted forcefully. The scream was cut short.
"Boss!"
"Boss!"
The other two wore expressions of disbelief. Just as they were about to make a move...
The gray-robed woman had already snatched up the man's corpse with one hand and hurled it at the man with the chain, simultaneously kicking off the ground to pounce on the other invader.
By the time the man with the chain pushed the corpse off himself, he saw his other companion's corpse dangling from the gray-robed woman's hand.
"You, you..."
The man with the chain trembled all over, fearfully swinging the iron chain in his hands towards the gray-robed woman.
"Fortress."
The gray-robed woman tossed aside the corpse in her hand, then drew the long blade from the dead man's body and casually held it up to defend herself.
A flash of green light flickered across the long blade.
The force of the striking chain was easily neutralized.
*Swoosh!*
The gray-robed woman flicked her wrist, sending the long blade flying with a sharp whistle as it pierced the air and embedded itself in the chain-wielding man's chest.
The entire fight took less than half a minute. It could only be described as a complete rout!
Watching this scene, beads of sweat had already formed on Imina's forehead.
*So strong!*
The gray-robed woman's fighting style could be described as ruthless and precise—skills that could only be honed through long years of combat.
"He's still breathing."
The gray-robed woman lifted the barely-alive man with the chain and walked towards Tang Zheng and Imina, her clear voice ringing out again.
"Do you need to ask who issued the Quest to these three Workers?"
Imina's gaze was wary as she watched the slender figure hidden within the gray robe, but the dual blades in her hands lowered slightly.
The man with the chain she held was the very same one who had insulted her earlier.
Clearly, the gray-robed woman was making a gesture of goodwill, showing that she had no hostile intentions.
Imina didn't speak, instead turning to look at Tang Zheng behind her.
"No need." Tang Zheng shook his head.
The gray-robed woman paused, still holding the man. "Is that so."
*Crack!*
She snapped the man's neck and tossed him to the ground.
As the gray-robed woman approached, both Tang Zheng and Imina caught the scent of a rather strong fragrance.
The scent was perhaps too overpowering, causing the Lesser Soulhound, with its already keen sense of smell, to shake its head several times.
Tang Zheng looked at the gray-robed woman, and his eyes lit up, especially after smelling the fragrance that was clearly meant to conceal something.
*So, she's finally come looking for me?*
*Whoosh!*
The gray hood was thrown back.
A woman with pale-gold hair tied back casually, a fair and well-featured face, pink lips, and deep blue eyes appeared before them.
She looked to be around twenty years old. The right side of her face was completely hidden by her draping golden hair, revealing only half of her face.
As the robe was opened, the fragrance from her body grew even stronger, making Imina frown involuntarily.
"My apologies for visiting so late at night."
The golden-haired woman bowed her head slightly and spoke in a respectful tone, "My name is Leinas. There is a matter I must ask of you, esteemed alchemist."
As she said this, Leinas glanced at Imina.
*She's not giving her full name?*
Tang Zheng had been waiting for her for a long time. Now that she was finally here, he wasn't as excited as he'd imagined he would be. In a calm and gentle voice, he said, "Thank you for your help, Miss Leinas."
"Imina, please dispose of the corpses first."
Huh?
Imina blinked. The wariness in her expression didn't fade in the slightest as she looked at Tang Zheng in surprise.
*Dispose of the corpses? He's obviously sending me away.*
"Alright."
Imina fell silent for a moment. She sheathed her dual blades, walked forward, dragged up the corpse of the man with the chain, and headed towards the far side of the courtyard.
(end of chapter)