I Do Not Accept Surrenders

The night was deep, and most of the people in Nafu City had fallen asleep. Claire also put the Magic Book back on the shelf and returned to her own bedroom to rest.

Outside the Viscount's mansion, however, a pair of eyes were fixed on Claire's room. It wasn't until an hour after the lights went out that he made a move, nimbly leaping over the Viscount's mansion's walls.

He walked close to the castle walls and then, like a gecko, began to climb the outer wall. He quietly climbed from the ground floor to Claire's bedroom on the sixth floor. However, instead of rushing to open the window, he pressed his ear to it. After confirming he heard even breathing, he used his toothpick to pick the window lock. Like a nimble cat, he slipped into Claire's bedroom without making a sound.

He crouched by the bed, glanced at Claire sleeping soundly, and then slowly took out a dagger from his embrace, slowly drawing it from its sheath.

Looking at Claire, who was still sound asleep, the assassin chuckled inwardly. Heh, these five hundred gold coins are mine so easily.

"Swish!"

The dagger pierced the air, attacking Claire's head with extreme speed.

"Crack!" A dull thud echoed.

The assassin's eyes widened. His wrist was caught by one of Claire's hands.

Claire chuckled, looking at the assassin. "Did you not inquire about my strength before attempting to assassinate me?"

She was a mage, and an intermediate mage at that. Even when sleeping, her mental energy would passively spread out. The moment the assassin entered her room, Claire had already sensed his presence.

"Die!" the assassin shouted, placing his other hand on the dagger and increasing the force. He wanted to use brute strength to stab the dagger into Claire's eye.

But the dagger, held by Claire, remained completely still, showing no signs of moving forward.

"How is this possible?" The assassin's voice was filled with disbelief. He knew the target was a mage, but how could a mage's strength be greater than his, an assassin who specialized in Battle Qi?

"It's not strange at all." Claire slapped the bed surface with her other hand and sprang into the air. In mid-air, she twisted her body and kicked her leg at the assassin's neck, sending him staggering back a few steps.

Claire seized the opportunity to flip over and stand up. A flash of light appeared in her hand, and a gem-encrusted dagger materialized.

The assassin rubbed his neck and, refusing to believe it, charged forward again, muttering, "I don't believe your strength is greater than mine!"

Let's find out. Claire pressed forward, releasing her mental energy to observe the assassin's movements closely. The moment the assassin reacted, she reacted simultaneously.

The assassin didn't manage to inflict many wounds on Claire; instead, Claire carved several bloody gashes on him.

"This is impossible!" The assassin appeared somewhat frantic. He had cultivated for nearly ten years to achieve his current strength. How could someone who hadn't cultivated Battle Qi possess greater strength than him?

Claire smiled slightly, offering no explanation. Should I tell him this is the Great Strength Pill I got from my first transaction, which can increase strength by up to ten times?

Then, she beckoned him with a hook of her finger, "Come here!"

"You just wait!" the assassin roared, and then pale red Battle Qi surged from his body, his entire presence amplifying by more than double.

"Bronze Rank?" Claire thought to herself. Being able to project Battle Qi outward indicated a Bronze Rank assassin.

She immediately dropped her combat stance. If he used Battle Qi, his strength would surely double. Even with the Great Strength Pill, she wouldn't be a match for him in close combat. Although she was a mage, she wasn't Gandalf.

"Die!" the assassin shouted, throwing the dagger in his hand forcefully. The sharp tip pointed directly at Claire's forehead. Then, he rapidly closed the distance between them. He had learned from his intelligence that the target possessed a ranged Magic Weapon, so he had to get close to prevent her from using it.

Claire stood her ground, showing no intention of dodging, and quickly chanted a string of obscure incantations.

"Wind Shield!"

A transparent, mystical shield appeared before Claire, blocking the dagger, which clattered to the ground with a crisp sound.

A flicker of surprise flashed in the assassin's eyes, but he quickly pulled out another dagger from his embrace, leaped high, and thrust it towards Claire.

"Wind Wall!"

Claire waved her hand, and a transparent, turbulent Wind Wall appeared before her. With a gentle push forward, the Wind Wall rapidly surged out, sweeping the assassin, who was still in mid-air, away. He slammed violently into the wall.

Claire flexed her wrist. She was, after all, an intermediate mage. Sending a Bronze Rank assassin to kill her was an insult. A Silver Rank assassin would have been more appropriate. Was he looking down on her?

"Ugh!" The assassin let out a muffled groan from the searing pain in his back and managed to stand up, enduring the intense agony.

"Wind Blade!"

Another whistling sound cut through the air. The next second, he felt a sharp pain in his right wrist, causing him to instinctively drop the dagger he was holding.

"Stop! I surrender." The assassin pleaded, but his left hand crept behind his back, intending to deliver a fatal blow while Claire let her guard down.

Claire did pause her actions. The assassin rejoiced inwardly. It worked again. I've used this trick to kill many people before.

But the next second, Claire said, "Sorry, I never accept surrender, especially from someone who still has the strength to fight back."

The assassin's eyes widened slightly. He looked up abruptly at Claire, who was less than ten meters away. Could such words truly come from a child who hadn't even reached adulthood?

Claire met his gaze and returned a friendly smile. "Earth Spike Technique!"

"Screech!"

Sharp earth spikes shot out from the brick floor, piercing the assassin's feet horizontally and vertically. Blood and flesh splattered everywhere, and blood continuously flowed down his legs, staining his pant legs and dripping onto the floor. The assassin, who had finally managed to stand up, collapsed to his knees.

"Hurricane Technique!"

"Wait a minute..." the assassin weakly reached out to Claire, trying to stop her.

But Claire's magic was already prepared. She swiped her hand through the air, and a hurricane immediately appeared, sweeping the kneeling assassin into the air. Then, as if by some unseen force, he was slammed from mid-air into the wall on the left.

"Splat!"

The assassin fell to the ground, unrecognizable. He was barely alive.

Seeing that the assassin was no longer able to move, Claire slowly walked over and apologized, "Sorry, I couldn't hear you clearly because of the wind. Please continue."

The assassin almost choked to death with anger. "Spare me, and I'll tell you who sent me."

"Huh!" Claire exclaimed in surprise, "According to the rules of your assassin profession, shouldn't the client's information be more important than your own life?"

"Cough, cough, I don't have an organization, so it's fine if I leak information," the assassin said weakly.

When Steward Frank looked for someone, he didn't hire an organized or famous assassin. Otherwise, assassinating a Viscount like Claire, even a Viscount whose territory had fallen to such a state, would have started at least three thousand gold coins.

At this moment, Regan's anxious shout came from outside the door: "Young Master! Are you alright!" Claire's fight with the other party, speaking of it, was long, but it didn't exceed one minute in total, so Regan wasn't too late.

The door was pushed open by Regan. Upon seeing that the bedroom had turned into a "storage room," Regan almost had a heart attack. Fortunately, he quickly saw his young master still standing, and the person lying on the ground was someone he didn't recognize. Only then did Regan's hanging heart relax.

However, a wave of lingering fear followed. His young master, the heir of the Griffin Family, was actually assassinated in his own Viscount's mansion. The person who planned this behind the scenes must receive the most brutal punishment in this world!

"I'm fine," Claire replied.

The assassin, still lying on the ground, continued to beg Claire, "Really, as long as you let me go, I'll expose the person who ordered me."

Claire simply laughed, "Even if you don't say it, I know who did it."

The assassin was stunned for a moment, "So..."

"Bang!"

The sound of a gunshot echoed in the room!

Blood splattered all over Claire. Then, Claire walked to the window, raised the pistol, and fired five shots into the sky!

"Bang! Bang! Bang..."

The gunshots reverberated through Nafu City in the night, startling those who were already unable to sleep.

After firing the shots, Claire turned her head. The faint blue moonlight happened to fall on her, forming a stark contrast with the scattered bloodstains on her body. Especially the smile on her face, coupled with the un-wiped blood, created a strong visual impact.

Regan, standing nearby, was stunned. He had never seen his young master possess such an extraordinary aura.

"Regan..." Claire called out, and Regan finally snapped back to attention.

"Young Master!"

"Go and issue a notice: I was assassinated by an assassin tonight. I wasn't seriously injured, but the assassin managed to escape. I hope the citizens of Nafu City will be vigilant."

Regan glanced at the dead assassin's corpse on the ground, which couldn't be more dead. He didn't ask any further questions and directly responded, "Yes, Young Master!"

Claire waved her hand, "There's nothing else. Go back and rest."

"As you command! Young Master!" Regan was a qualified steward, knowing when to speak and when to remain silent.

After Regan retreated, Claire reached out and touched her cheek, rubbing the blood on her hands together before her eyes. Then, she looked out the window towards Nafu City.

She muttered, "I originally wanted to take things slowly, but I didn't expect I was wrong. You are more impatient than I am. Since you're not afraid of death, then come at me."

Thanks for the two monthly votes from "Lord Farming"!!!! And thanks to myself for the 600 Qidian coins I tipped myself!!!