Clay's fist came down like a falling hammer.
Cerys' eyes told her that the fist was carrying enough force to shatter her skull. In that instant, she could feel this was how her life would end.
It had turned so quickly she could barely recall what happened.
She had him just now. Blade right up against his throat.
It was certain on her part.
Additionally, the poison she forced past his lips should have reduced him to nothing more than a puppet in her hands.
After the reaction from him? She's prepared.
Fear in his eyes, or a falter in his breath… Maybe perhaps a last, desperate attempt to bargain.
But none of that escaped his mouth.
It flipped. Just like that.
Now, she was on the ground. She couldn't even react, her back was feeling intense pain from him, hitting hard. And obviously, his weight was already on her, slowly taking the breath out of her.
Light was coming off him. Too much of it. It hurt to look.
His fist closed in fast.
Everything else in her head just dropped away.
Am I really going to die in this instant?
In that final moment memories rushed through her thoughts with painful clarity.
Her childhood home.
Her mother's voice.
Her father laughing during dinner.
Her eyes closed as the fist descended.
On the other side, Clay expected to feel his knuckles slam directly into her face.
Instead something strange happened.
A powerful barrier appeared between his fist and the girl's body.
His punch crashed into an invisible shield.
A loud explosion burst through the room as the impact pushed air outward in every direction.
Dust flew across the floor.
The wooden boards beneath them cracked.
Clay frowned.
"Huh?"
Ding.
The target is currently bound to the system.
The binding cannot be removed by force.
If the Host attempts to seriously harm the target, irreversible damage will be inflicted upon the Host.
Clay's face darkened.
"Are you serious right now?"
His fist remained suspended above the girl's face while holy light still flickered around his body.
For a moment anger burned across his expression.
Then something interesting happened.
Clay's lips slowly curved upward.
A smirk appeared.
"Of course."
Then his eyes glinted with murderous intent!
If the system believes he could be stopped by a simple warning, this system doesn't know what kind of person he is.
Immediately he clenched fist and was about to drive another murderous punch!
However, before he could act again another notification appeared.
Ding.
A new window opened in front of his eyes.
Several lines of glowing text appeared one after another.
Mission 1: Scare the Assassin Maid into giving you the antidote.
Reward: Low Level Passive Ability.
Clay stared at the screen.
Then another line appeared.
Mission 2: Make the Assassin Maid feel guilty and voluntarily give you the antidote.
Reward: Middle Class Passive Ability.
His eyebrows lifted slightly.
The system continued.
Mission 3: Convince the Assassin Maid to willingly hand over the antidote.
Reward: High Class Passive Ability.
Clay's eyes narrowed.
Then the final option appeared.
Impossible Mission 4: Obtain the antidote from the Assassin Maid without ever mentioning the antidote to her.
Reward: Overlord Class.
The screen paused for a moment.
Then another line appeared.
Failure Penalty: Loss of male reproductive organs.
Clay froze.
"…Excuse me?"
For several seconds he simply stared at the words.
Then he slowly lowered his fist while thinking carefully.
"These missions are ridiculous."
He leaned back slightly while still holding the girl down.
Mission one looked simple.
Very simple.
In fact Clay could already imagine several ways to complete it.
He could threaten her.
He could show her the difference in their strength.
He could scare her so badly that she panicked and handed over the antidote without resistance.
Clay could easily demonstrate his power again by destroying half the room or crushing the floor beside her head with his fist. Fear was an effective tool, especially against someone who clearly lacked experience.
He could also drag the process out slowly.
Interrogation methods existed for a reason.
He had seen knights in the capital break hardened criminals using nothing more than intimidation and controlled violence. Compared to those professionals, this girl looked far too fragile to withstand real pressure.
Clay could finish mission one within minutes.
But the reward bothered him.
Low Level Passive Ability.
Clay frowned slightly.
"Too cheap."
If he was going to deal with this system nonsense, then he might as well gain something worthwhile from it.
His mind moved toward mission two.
That one sounded more complicated.
Making someone feel guilty required emotional manipulation.
Clay thought about possible strategies.
He could pretend to be a helpless victim who trusted her. He could talk about loyalty, betrayal, and kindness until she felt ashamed of her actions. If the girl truly lacked experience, then psychological pressure might break her faster than physical intimidation.
He could describe the consequences of her actions. Perhaps he could speak about how her attack might destroy innocent people if his powerful family decided to retaliate. The thought of harming others might trigger guilt inside someone inexperienced.
Another option involved sympathy.
Clay could act injured. He could cough and pretend the poison was already spreading through his body while asking her why she would harm someone who had done nothing to her. The guilt of watching someone suffer could break weaker minds.
However this path carried risk.
Emotion based strategies depended heavily on the personality of the target. If the girl turned out to be cold hearted, then guilt tactics would accomplish nothing.
Clay continued thinking.
Mission three seemed even more difficult.
Convincing her to willingly hand over the antidote meant she had to cooperate without feeling forced or manipulated.
That required trust.
Or persuasion.
Clay began examining the girl beneath him more carefully.
Perhaps he could offer something valuable in return.
Information.
Protection.
Resources.
If she truly needed resources as she claimed earlier, then negotiation might work. Clay belonged to a powerful family. Even though he currently hid in this countryside estate, the name of his house still carried weight across the kingdom.
He could promise wealth.
Training.
A place to belong.
Another idea crossed his mind.
He could recruit her.
Instead of treating her as an enemy, he could present himself as someone who understood her situation. If she felt abandoned by her organization or desperate for survival, then switching allegiance might become appealing.
But that plan also carried risk.
Clay frowned deeper as he examined the situation.
Every mission doesn't seem to read his situation.
The moment he released his grip, she might attack again or simply escape.
Even the so called impossible mission lingered in the back of his mind like a strange puzzle.
Getting the antidote without asking for it sounded absurd.
How would that even work?
Would he have to manipulate the situation so perfectly that she handed it over on her own without realizing why?
Clay rubbed his forehead.
"This system enjoys making things complicated."
After several minutes of thought he reached an uncomfortable conclusion.
All four missions contained serious risks.
The biggest problem remained the same.
If he released her now, she might attack again.
Or she might escape completely.
Both possibilities would create new problems.
Clay sighed.
"Nah."
He suddenly felt less interested.
He leaned back slightly and shrugged inside his mind.
"Forget it."
The penalty mentioned losing his male organs.
Clay did not appear particularly worried.
"I can replace one if necessary."
Magic existed in this world. Medical techniques also existed.
Some powerful healers could regrow limbs.
Compared to that, replacing a damaged organ did not sound impossible.
"So why should I stress about these missions?"
He decided to ignore the system. He clenched his fist and was ready to blast her face off.
However something caught his attention before he could move.
Another tear rolled from the corner of the girl's eye.
Clay blinked.
His gaze returned to her face.
The assassin was crying.
Not just one tear.
Her shoulders trembled slightly.
Her closed eyes squeezed tightly as more tears slid down her cheeks.
Clay raised one eyebrow.
"An assassin… crying?"
A slow grin appeared on his face.
At first he assumed she was some experienced professional sent by a dangerous organization.
So the best way to deal with her was to end her right here, right now.
But now…
Now the situation looked different.
Professionals rarely cried during failed assassinations.
This girl looked terrified.
Like someone completely new to the job.
Clay's grin widened.
"Well well."
His thoughts turned playful.
"So you're a rookie."
That discovery changed everything.
A new recruit meant weak mental training.
Weak mental training meant easier manipulation.
Clay felt far less annoyed now.
There was no need for cruelty.
Perhaps he could still complete mission three after all.
He studied her expression carefully while considering his options again.
Should I try the missions after all?
I'll try completing the mission 3.
Clay finally spoke.
"Hey."
Cerys did not respond.
Her eyes remained closed while tears continued to flow.
Inside her mind she cried desperately.
I don't want to die.
I don't want to die.
Her thoughts screamed with panic.
Mom… Dad… please don't let me die.
Her entire body trembled.
Then a voice reached her ears.
"I know the girl who can recruit a weak will assassin like this."
The sentence sounded almost confused.
Cerys froze.
Slowly she opened her eyes.
The world looked upside down.
For a moment she did not understand what she was seeing.
Then Clay's face appeared above her, his long red hair hanging downward around his shoulders.
"You're awake."
Cerys blinked repeatedly.
I'm alive?
Her mind struggled to understand.
How?
Clay studied her carefully.
"Who is your superior?"
His voice carried calm authority.
Cerys opened her mouth but no words came out.
Fear locked her throat.
Clay frowned.
He lifted his finger and flicked her forehead.
"Answer me."
Cerys flinched.
"I… I don't know… I don't have a superior."
Her voice trembled badly.
Clay watched her quietly.
Then a small smile appeared on his lips.
Inside his mind he thought calmly.
This girl is lying.
Cerys suddenly felt her heart skip.
Me? Lying? Why would I—
Then her eyes widened.
She stared at him in shock.
He had not opened his mouth.
Yet she heard that sentence clearly inside her head.
Clay spoke again.
"I already know who your superior is."
His voice sounded confident.
Inside his mind another thought followed.
This girl is probably just a rookie assassin. If I play this right, I can turn her into my maid.
Cerys felt another jolt of shock.
Again she heard his thoughts.
Her breathing grew faster.
Clay continued speaking normally.
"It has been two days since I arrived here and I still haven't found a proper maid."
Inside his mind another line appeared.
Killing her would waste resources.
His smile grew slightly.
Let me see if I can steal her away from that villainess.
Cerys's pupils shrank.
Clay's final thought echoed clearly inside her head.
The Shadow Assassin known as Cerys.
Her eyes widened completely.