Chapter 6: This Assassin Isn't Cold
Chapter 6: This Assassin Isn't Cold
Not everyone in this world has professional ethics.
Just like the woman in front of him, wearing a mask and holding a sword against his neck.
The sword was only 0.1 to 1 centimeter away from his neck. It fluctuated slightly because the hand holding the sword was trembling.
Come on, big sis, don't try to rob people if you have Parkinson's!
Charlotte was genuinely scared. He was afraid that if her hand shook, she would cut his carotid artery.
"Ro...robbery!" the woman said in a deep voice.
Although she intentionally spoke in a low tone, there was still a hint of immaturity in her voice. She seemed young.
And it seemed that she was more nervous than he, the victim.
The woman had a petite figure, around 1.56 meters tall. So when she pointed the sword at him, she had to tilt her head up to look at him, which appeared somewhat ridiculous and lacked the intimidation of a robber.
Of course, it would be a big mistake to judge the combat power of this world solely based on appearances.
A full-level goblin is only 1.2 meters tall. Do you think they're weak?
"Robbery for money or something else?" Charlotte cautiously asked.
With inexperienced newcomers like her, he needed to be extra careful.
Experienced individuals usually have professional ethics. Some only rob for money, some only rob for pleasure, and some rob for both and silence the victims.
Newcomers are more random in their actions. Sometimes, because of a small movement or a word that shouldn't have been said, they end your life.
Charlotte's hand, concealed in his sleeve, was already clutching a magical spell. It was a life-saving measure left by the original ownera fourth-level instant fireball spell.
At such a close distance, he was confident that he could burn the woman in front of him to ashes.
But this was his only trump card for self-defense. He had spent nearly a thousand copper coins to purchase this spell from Harry.
If the other party was only after money, the materials in the package were worth only 1,500 copper coins. She might not even want them, and the two copper coins in his shoes could be easily overlooked.
"Hand over all the money you have on you!" the woman's voice grew louder, but she still seemed somewhat lacking in confidence.
"I... I don't have any money on me..." Charlotte innocently raised his hands.
"Give me the package!" The woman's sword was still pressed against Charlotte's neck, but her gaze fell on the package he had with him.
"Are you sure?" Charlotte hesitated for a moment.
"Don't talk nonsense!"
The long sword moved forward, and the sharp blade caused a slight pain on Charlotte's neck as if his skin had been cut.
Charlotte immediately obediently handed over the tattered cloth package on his back.
Hmm!
The weight of the package was obviously beyond the woman's expectations, nearly causing her to stumble.
However, a hint of delight appeared in her eyes, indicating that she believed there would be a good harvest in this heavy package.
She pointed her sword at Charlotte with one hand and opened the package with the other.
Ah...
A piercing scream echoed in the dim alley.
Charlotte looked at the woman who suddenly clung to him, tightly wrapping her arms around his neck, and he was completely bewildered.
"Snakes! Bats! Frogs!" The woman's voice carried a sob as if she had experienced a great shock.
Charlotte wanted to laugh, but he felt that it wasn't the appropriate occasion, so he awkwardly held her in a princess carry.
Fortunately, the woman was light, not much heavier than the package. Moreover, she was soft, and it felt quite comfortable holding her.
After a moment, the woman seemed to realize the awkwardness of the current situation and quickly got off Charlotte.
Although her face was covered, her visibly pink skin around the eye area revealed her embarrassment.
"Who... who are you?" The woman pointed her sword back at Charlotte's neck, feeling both embarrassed and annoyed.
"I am a wandering scavenger," Charlotte lowered his gaze and sighed. "This is my harvest from the past half month. I planned to exchange it for some money at the material shop to buy some food for my child. She hasn't eaten anything for three days."
"You... you have a child?" The woman's sword drooped slightly and moved away from Charlotte's neck.
"Yes, her name is Anna. She's three years old, a well-behaved and sensible child." Charlotte nodded, his eyes shimmering with paternal care and tenderness. "Unfortunately, she had an accident when she was young and has a slight limp."
"You must have been forced to do this. You don't need to explain, I understand. The Abyss is like that. I won't blame you. Take whatever you want, just please don't hurt me." Charlotte earnestly looked into the woman's eyes. "The child is still young and can't survive alone. She's most afraid of bats and snakes."
The woman instantly dropped her guard. The long sword in her hand hung by her side and was concealed behind her. Tears glistened in her eyes, and she couldn't meet Charlotte's gaze.
"You... you can go."
"What about this package..."
"I don't want anything. Sell it and buy food for the child." The woman shook her head and took a step back.
"Thank you." Charlotte quickly crouched down, re-tied the package, and carried it on his back, preparing to leave.
"Wait!" The woman's voice rang out again.
"What is it?" Charlotte's heart tightened, and he once again gripped the magical spell in his hand, slowly turning around.
The long sword in the woman's hand had somehow transformed into a magic wand, and she was chanting something as she pointed it at Charlotte.
A faint green light fell on Charlotte's neck, cool and soothing. The previously cut wound instantly healed, and the sensation of pain disappeared.
" A healing mage!" Charlotte was taken aback.
He was one hundred percent sure that she had just chanted the spell for a basic healing technique. Her casting was incredibly smooth, and the effect was remarkable.
"You... are you a doctor?!" Charlotte touched his neck, displaying the perfect mix of shock and joy.
However, a mage capable of casting healing magic smoothly would be respected in any city. How could she have ended up in the Abyss, resorting to robbing people on the road?
If he could bring her to his clinic...
Stop!
If she found out that he had just been completely acting, that he didn't have a daughter at home, only a limping white cat, she would kill him, right?
Unfortunately, though...
Charlotte regretted it so much that he keeps patting his own thigh.
"I... I'm not a doctor." The woman quickly waved her hand and then slightly bowed. "I apologize for my reckless behavior earlier. You're a good father."
Now, Charlotte felt a twinge of guilt.
But this guilt only lasted for
a second. In the Abyss, if you wanted to survive for long, impeccable acting skills were an important means of self-defense. His previous self had escaped two crises by pretending to be dead.
Gurgle~
The woman stood up straight, but her stomach embarrassingly growled.
Charlotte sighed in his heart. If it weren't for the circumstances forcing her, how could a healing mage be robbing people on the road with a sword in hand?
"You can go now. Don't keep the child waiting." The woman turned her face away.
"Good luck to you." Charlotte took out the uneaten black bread from his pocket and stuffed it into the woman's hand. He briskly walked into the mist, carrying his belongings on his back.
"This..." The woman held the bread in a daze for a moment, then looked up, only to see the lingering mist in front of her.
The black bread was dry and hard, but for Vivian, who hadn't eaten for three days, the faint scent of wheat had a deadly allure.
She tore off her veil and took a big bite, chewing with force, her cheeks slightly chubby.
After three days of drinking water, her dull taste buds finally regained their sense.
For the first time, she found black bread to be so sweet and delicious!
As she ate, she suddenly burst into tears.
Tears wet her long eyelashes and fell onto the black bread, tracing down her smooth cheeks.
"Vivian, how could you rob a father who is striving to live?! He's such a kind person, and what have you done?" Vivian grabbed her hair, wearing a face of regret and pain.
In just three days, she had escaped from the imperial capital of the Lance Empire to the Abyss, and within that short time, she had been deceived five times, lost all her money, and almost been sold to a lecherous goblin old man.
"This world is too dangerous, but Father said that only here can we avoid being captured by the Lance Empire."
She was starving, almost on the brink of death.
But she had to stay alive. Her father had died to protect her, and her mother was imprisoned in the capital awaiting her rescue.
So she abandoned the education she had received for sixteen years and chose a seemingly easy and wealthy target.
When the sword pierced his skin, she felt pain. A healing mage who had learned how to heal others since childhood, using a sword to harm others was a terrible torment.
But when she used magic to heal his wounds, she felt her soul redeemed, experiencing great satisfaction.
"I am destined to be an inadequate robber. I must find a safe place to settle as soon as possible and strive to become stronger." Vivian wiped away her tears, her gaze becoming resolute. "But what can I do? Helping people is what I am best at. But in this chaotic Abyss, do they need doctors? Besides, Father said that we must act discreetly to avoid pursuit from the Lance Empire..."
...
Charlotte ran with his belongings on his back, only daring to stop and catch his breath after running for three blocks.
This world was truly too dangerous. Even young girls in their teens dared to come out and rob people on the road.
The social atmosphere was extremely poor!
Fortunately, she was just a fledgling, not knowing anything. He could casually deceive her and give her black bread to pass through.
"But that was two copper coins, my dinner for today. It hurts!" Charlotte grumbled and walked away quickly.
The rest of the journey went smoothly. Half an hour later, Charlotte returned to the clinic unscathed.
Confirming that the strand of hair tied to the door handle was intact, Charlotte entered the clinic and quickly locked the door.
"Phew... Going out is so difficult!"
Charlotte threw the package on the stone bed and slumped onto a chair, finally relaxing completely.
The white cat sleeping in the top compartment of the cabinet stretched lazily, sticking out its head to look down at Charlotte with a cold gaze.
"From now on, I'll call you Anna. Thanks to you today, I was able to escape safely." Charlotte took out the last small fish from the drawer and threw it in front of the white cat, smiling contentedly.
The white cat glanced at Charlotte, then at the fish, and bit into it before retracting its head.
Sounds of joyful chewing quickly came from above.
After resting for nearly half an hour, Charlotte got up and entered the study, taking out a journal. While flipping through it, he read aloud, "Hemostatic Potion, ingredients: one Silverwing Bat, one dried Green-skin Frog, seven Blue Beans, three pieces of Grayrock Ore..."