Episode 144
Chapter 48. Nameless (3)
Three days had passed. Every morning, Jin woke up to have breakfast with the man, wandered the streets during the day, and returned by dusk to share dinner.
It felt less like Samil and more like a leisurely stay at some resort. Not once had there been an assassination attempt—neither while roaming the streets nor when they were together at the house.
The reason Jin enjoyed such peaceful days was simple.
He was staying at the home of a mid-level trainee from the Nameless.
Most of the trainees on the streets were far less skilled than him. The fact that Jin had survived his first day there had already sent a clear message to the lower-ranked trainees: he was untouchable.
“No one’s tried to target me since day one. Honestly, it’s kind of unsettling.”
Soft rustling.
Leaning against a tree, Jin flipped through the pages of a book he’d borrowed from Samil’s library—a volume detailing various poisonous plants and toxins.
It wasn’t an advanced or deeply technical text, since visitors could borrow it too. But Jin’s knowledge of poisons was limited, so he found it quite fascinating.
Across from him, two eyes watched from the shadows of another tree.
“Hehe. The youngest really does love books. Probably the only one among the siblings.”
Yona. She had been quietly observing the youngest sibling after a long time apart.
Her eagerness wasn’t just because she was thrilled to see him again. There was a reason Yona had spent three whole days watching Jin.
She needed to accurately gauge his level.
Only by understanding his true strength could she send assassins who matched his skill, one by one. And what Yona saw in Jin was a skill level that defied his sixteen years.
“Looking closely, the youngest isn’t just exceptional in aura. His danger sense is like that of a veteran who’s faced death multiple times.”
Even among the Runkandel, it was rare for someone so young to have amassed such experience.
In fact, because Runkandel typically didn’t force themselves into desperate situations, they rarely faced life-or-death moments unless pushed.
“At sixteen, most would have survived one or two near-death experiences… but what kind of life has this kid lived?”
While it was common for a Runkandel of his age to have faced death once or twice, the sharpness Yona sensed in Jin was beyond that.
Compared to other pureblood Runkandel youths, Jin had endured far more hardships—Yona’s assessment was spot on.
What Yona didn’t know was that, counting his past life, Jin’s experience was equivalent to someone in their mid-forties. Before his reincarnation, he had always struggled for survival as the underdog, making any comparison meaningless.
“Anyway, this is interesting! Mid-level or even upper-mid won’t cut it… It’s time to send in the top-tier assassins.”
Hehe, Yona chuckled softly and disappeared into the forest.
“Hmm?”
Jin instinctively glanced toward where she had left, thinking,
“I feel like something just passed by over there… This sensation’s been lingering for days now. Starting from the clapping on day one, I’m going to end up with a nervous breakdown.”
“Hey, I think it’s time you left my house.”
The next evening, the man spoke with a tired voice, right after serving dinner as usual.
“Am I eating too much? Or am I interfering with your life too much?”
Jin asked, eyes wide.
“No, it’s not that.”
“Then why all of a sudden…?”
The man sighed deeply.
“I’ve given up on assassinating you.”
“Oh…”
Both Jin and the man shared an awkward smile.
“At first, I thought you were just a reckless kid. Born as the heir of the Mu family, growing up sheltered, only seeing the good side of the world—a real pain in the neck. What a huge mistake that was.”
“I see.”
“But after four days—four whole days—of trying to find a chance to kill you, I never got a single opening. So I have to admit it: I’m not skilled enough to kill you.”
“Hmm, if that’s the case, then I suppose I should leave. But why not even try once…?”
“Failing an assassination attempt on a visitor is a huge mark against me. If I show my face like I have, I have to finish it in one go. But you never gave me a chance, and I’m up for promotion soon.”
Should I comfort him?
The thought crossed Jin’s mind briefly, but he just shrugged.
“These four days have been meaningful to me. I’ve learned a lot from staying on edge, and I hope you’ve gained something too.”
For the first time, the man laughed heartily.
“Hahaha, I didn’t expect you to say that. I’ve realized a lot myself. My skills had plateaued recently, but you gave me a big push… I should thank you.”
He then extended his hand for a handshake.
“I’m not trying to assassinate you. I just want you to leave my house alive and get out of Samil safely.”
After a moment’s hesitation, Jin clasped the man’s hand.
“I hope the day comes when you become a nameless assassin and work for me. So I won’t ask your name. The free meals I’ve had these past few days will be repaid with a generous fee then.”
For the first time since relying on the man’s home, Jin finished his meal comfortably.
He packed his bag and stepped outside. The night was dark, without a moon.
“Maybe staying at an inn isn’t a bad idea now.”
Even if he stayed at an inn, the small fry wouldn’t bother him anymore.
Just as he was about to move, Jin’s instincts flared, and he looked down at his feet again. He hadn’t even taken five steps from the man’s doorstep.
“Huh? What’s this?”
A trap, the kind used to catch wild animals. Step on the center, and two sharp metal jaws snap shut around the ankle.
And there were about thirty of these traps laid out all the way to the main road.
—When dealing with assassins, you have to think of them as magicians or con artists, young master.
If Jin hadn’t recalled Garon Artemiro’s advice, he might have been distracted by the traps for a few more seconds.
“Watch out!”
Swish!
Jin quickly drew his sword, Bradamante, and shifted his gaze to the roof of the man’s house. Someone was lying flat, with only their face sticking out beyond the eaves.
A mid-level trainee sent by Yona. The trainee held a long, thin wooden tube in their mouth—ready to fire a poison dart.
The traps were laid to distract Jin, to create a moment for the assassin to expose their face on the roof.
Thwip!
Before Jin could fully draw Bradamante, the poison dart was fired.
Fortunately, Jin blocked it with the half-drawn blade, but he couldn’t counterattack.
The trainee immediately pulled invisible strings tied to all the traps.
Suddenly, dozens of traps sprang toward Jin like snapping jaws.
The moment they hit, the poison-coated jaws would clamp down and bite into him.
“Damn it!”
It was like a pack of crocodiles lunging with open mouths.
Clang! Clang-ching! Clang!
Jin finished drawing Bradamante and slashed at the traps. His blade, the sharpest he could wield, left white afterimages as several traps clung to the sword.
The trainee had anticipated this. Since the first dart was blocked, the assassination had already failed. The traps weren’t meant to kill Jin but to catch his sword and buy time to escape.
They expected Jin to first remove the traps from his blade rather than chase after them. They also hoped the traps would break his sword.
“Damn it!”
No mere trap could damage Bradamante, forged from ancient eternal steel. Jin chose to leap onto the roof, sword still caught in the traps.
Then, swinging the sword like a club, he threw it hard at the trainee who had just started running across the rooftops.
Whoosh!
Bradamante cut through the air with a dull thud. Though dulled by the traps, it struck the trainee’s thigh and fell beside them.
Clang!
The trainee faltered for a moment, and Jin lunged forward.
“Got you!”
They tangled and fell onto the roof. Jin immediately mounted the trainee, enveloped his fist in aura, and just as he was about to strike down—
“I admit defeat!”
The trainee shouted urgently.
“What?”
“I admit defeat, boy. So stop. You’ve won.”
“Would you stop if you were me? Be grateful you’re just a trainee—I’m not going to kill you.”
Crack!
Jin’s fist smashed into the trainee’s nose and cheekbone in one blow. Blood splattered as he kept punching until the trainee passed out.
“Chaos right from the start.”
Wiping the blood from his fist, Jin gathered Bradamante. Six traps were still clinging to the blade, making it unusable until removed.
“I need to get these off quickly… No, wait. Removing the traps will take at least three minutes.”
Jin paused, scanning his surroundings.
They were on a rooftop. He had nowhere to hide, but the roofs of nearby buildings were full of places where assassins could be lurking.
“I need to find a safe place and move quickly. That bastard must have known I’d try to slip out of the house. He set a trap in advance.”
If that’s the case, then the man who had been letting Jin stay there must have been tipped off beforehand. After evening, they’d send Jin out—and that’s when the assassination attempt would come.
“It’s not just that the guy stabbed me in the back. It’s more likely that someone higher up gave the order. Maybe they’ve sized me up and decided it’s time to hunt me down for real.”
Before Jin could even finish that thought—
Piiing!
Piiing!
Arrows came flying in from both sides. Of course, they were coated with deadly poison. Jin barely twisted his body to dodge, but he couldn’t pinpoint where they were coming from.
More arrows followed. How many people were shooting? Arrows rained down from all directions.
He had to get under a roof—anything to block the all-around assault.
“Damn it… I have a bad feeling about what’s waiting if I go down there…!”
But he had no choice. If he wanted to avoid becoming a human target for those arrows, he had to move.
Gritting his teeth, Jin leapt down into the street. Watching his back with a satisfied smile, Yona hummed softly.
“Heh, just a little more suffering, kid. If you’re chased like this for about a week, your ‘mind’s eye’ will finally open properly. You’re already halfway there. If you can’t hold on and die… well, that’d be sad, but it can’t be helped.”
Heh, heh heh—
Yona hummed a tune as she watched Jin run off. She truly wanted him to grow stronger.