Five Meters

The party, traveling beneath the blazing sun, received its due reward.

Everyone crouched low in the grass and looked ahead. Just as Cody had said, two Cat Demons were curled up beneath a tree, dozing off. Another had just finished eating and was licking its paws.

The remaining one was putting on a show of watching the surroundings, but it was clearly listless as well, looking drowsy and half-asleep.

Bern looked at Cody. The Assassin who had recently joined the party immediately understood. He gripped his dagger in a reverse hold and slowly took a deep breath.

Cat Demons were not Goblins. They were not so easy to deal with. Though there were only four of them against the party's five, three of the five were rookies who could hardly be relied upon. They would certainly win in a frontal clash, but injuries would likely be unavoidable.

It was normal for adventurers to be injured—for example, the wounds several party members had suffered in the last battle had yet to fully heal, even after a visit to the church.

But injuries meant a decline in combat strength and increased risk. If they were injured too often or too seriously, they could only retreat first, return to the city to recuperate, and set out again afterward.

That would waste a great deal of time. Moreover, many quests had time limits; by the time they made the round trip, they might no longer make it in time.

But if he could take one of them out first and turn the situation into five against three, things would be different.

They would have a high chance of ending this battle without a scratch.

That was the value of an Assassin. When the enemy had let down its guard, it was the perfect time for him to shine!

Cody steadied himself, held his breath, and quickly entered a state of preparation for assassination.

He braced one hand against the ground, his legs taut, his resolute eyes fixed on the enemies ahead.

At that moment, he was like a venomous snake hidden in the grass, waiting for its chance to strike.

He did look rather professional.

Lin Mo watched the Assassin's display with interest. Though his strength had improved considerably since he had first crossed over, Lin Mo had not become arrogant because of it, nor would he pass up an opportunity to learn and improve.

Second by second, time passed. The well-fed Cat Demon also leaned against the tree, resting its head on its paws as it prepared to sleep.

The Cat Demon keeping watch over the surroundings grew sleepier and sleepier, its eyes nearly unable to stay open.

In a little while, one of the Cat Demons that had fallen asleep first would take over for it and stand guard.

And this final stretch was precisely when it was most impatient and least vigilant.

The instant it turned around to inspect the other side, Cody, who had waited so long, seized the opportunity with perfect timing and burst from the grass!

He moved swiftly, his actions fierce and decisive, yet he made almost no sound—like a faint breeze passing by, too subtle to notice.

Backstab!

Cody silently called out the name of his skill. When attacking an enemy from behind, it granted him an additional boost.

He had done almost everything as perfectly as he could and displayed the fine qualities of an experienced Assassin. However...

Just as the blade was about to sink into its opponent's back, the drowsy Cat Demon suddenly pricked its ears high, its fur standing on end. Its keen senses detected the approaching danger in advance, and it instinctively rolled forward. Cody's long-prepared strike brushed past it, leaving only a wound of moderate depth across its back.

Had he still failed?

Cody frowned tightly, frustration written across his face.

The Cat Demon's senses were simply too sharp... Among all low-level monsters, they were practically among the hardest to ambush successfully.

With his strike having failed, the Cat Demon's shriek had already awakened its companions. Cody did not dare pursue rashly. He could only grit his teeth in unwillingness and retreat for the moment, preparing to face the enemy head-on with his teammates.

However, at that very moment, a figure suddenly entered his sight.

Behind the three Cat Demons that had just awakened, the figure darted out like a ghost, so fast that Cody could barely see it. The Cat Demons seemed utterly unaware, noticing none of the danger behind them.

In the blink of an eye, a sharp blade swept across one Cat Demon's neck. Like a hot knife through butter, it effortlessly severed its head.

Only then did Cody finally make out the person's figure.

It was him?!

The shock was so intense that Cody could not react for a moment. At the same time, the remaining three Cat Demons had fully entered combat mode. Behind him, Bern charged out of the grass with Evan, while Miriam drew her bow and fired an arrow straight at the Cat Demon Cody had wounded earlier.

The remaining two Cat Demons realized their companion had been killed and immediately let out piercing shrieks as they chased after Lin Mo, who had retreated in time.

Lin Mo did not panic in the slightest. He tossed the short blade in his hand into the air and swiftly drew the Wolfbone Sword from his back, blocking one Cat Demon's attack with the sword in one hand.

The second Cat Demon attacked from the other side, but Lin Mo seemed completely unaware of it as he looked toward the short blade he had just thrown.

The short blade spun upward, gleaming beneath the afternoon sun.

Pulled by gravity, the short blade began to fall, while the distance between the Cat Demon and Lin Mo had shrunk to less than five meters.

4 meters

The light reflected by the falling blade vanished into the dense forest. Its spinning edge cut through the air with a "swish, swish—".

Lin Mo raised his hand toward the air...

3 meters

The Cat Demon looked at the enemy before it, who was being held back by its companion. His hand was empty, with no weapon available to block its attack.

Its shriveled, almond-sized brain did not think about Lin Mo's seemingly meaningless action just now, nor did it notice the falling short blade at all.

All it saw was Lin Mo's neck—that soft, fatal spot. All it needed to do was sink its sharp claws and fangs into it to kill the human before it and add another delicacy to tonight's feast.

2 meters

Lin Mo opened his palm, his five fingers loosely curled. At the same time, he twisted his body, using his standoff with the Cat Demon on the other side to adjust into a proper striking posture.

The seemingly effortless victory and his opponent's still-empty left hand made the Cat Demon lower all its guard. It closed in at top speed, its sharp claws reaching for his throat.

1 meter

Lin Mo precisely caught the dagger's hilt in a reverse grip. As he and the Cat Demon rushed toward each other, the short blade was before it almost the instant it landed in his hand.

Fierce power whipped up a sharp gust. By the time the Cat Demon realized the danger, it was already too late.

Slash!

Six points of strength, unleashed at blistering speed, exceeded its limits, while the level 4 Slash displayed an even more powerful burst of force.

Before the Cat Demon's claws could touch Lin Mo, the short blade had already plunged into its throat from the side, piercing straight through without suspense!

"Crack—!"

Driven by the blade's remaining force, the Cat Demon's head flew off after it. Borrowing the momentum of the follow-through, Lin Mo spun around and struck with his right hand as well, sending the Cat Demon confronting him flying and preventing its next attack.

Everything happened within a single second...

I accidentally caught COVID. It feels awful... Thankfully, the symptoms aren't too severe. Everyone, take care of yourselves.

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