A beautifully engraved, gleaming soft sword clashed against the blade of the Hero's Broken Sword, sending sparks flying.

This was their third collision. Each time, the enemy would strike from Siegfried's blind spot, aiming for his vital points with precision.

If it weren't for the [Dance of the Heavenly Wind] enhancement still active on Siegfried, he would have already become fertilizer for this otherworldly soil.

The [Dance of the Heavenly Wind] that Darren had cast on him was indeed remarkably effective. This fourth-tier magic not only increased the subject's movement speed but also enhanced their reaction time, effectively boosting their agility level.

The spell's effect gradually weakened over time. When Siegfried first set out, his agility level had skyrocketed to A+, but now it had dropped to B. In a few more minutes, it would likely revert to its original state.

At that point, he'd be back to being a C-grade weakling, and his demise would be imminent.

(What should I do? What should I do? This is going to end badly if it continues. I need to think of something.)

As these thoughts raced through his mind, he narrowly avoided another soft sword attack from his flank.

This time, however, the sword's edge sliced through Siegfried's outer garment, leaving a shallow gash on his waist. Even now, he hadn't caught a clear glimpse of his attacker.

(I'm done for. I really can't hold on much longer!)

In this life-or-death moment, Siegfried finally thought of a way to break the deadlock.

"Shannon! Shannon! Save me!"

Calling for help from the Historian Mama!

Shannon's system's mechanical, emotionless voice resonated in Siegfried's mind.

[Searching for escape routes.]

By Buddha, Siegfried had never heard a more beautiful sound in his life.

[Search complete. No escape routes available.]

"Son of a—!"

Siegfried couldn't help but let out a curse.

[However, escape is unnecessary. Remove your hood and reveal your true face to resolve this crisis.]

Shannon's archaic tone was irritatingly smug.

Siegfried's eyes lit up.

(Oh right, in this world, I can use my appearance to bluff!)

In the Qilan Continent, black hair and black eyes were the hallmark of the Hero's family. This was common knowledge. At least so far, no one outside the Meilan family had been known to possess these genetic traits.

Both Catalina and Roland had been intimidated by Siegfried's appearance, falling into serious cognitive dissonance. In reality, if they had just taken a swing at him, they could have easily knocked this mysterious and powerful "Lord Meilan" to the ground.

Siegfried immediately undid his hood, revealing his face.

In the next second, the needle-like pressure surrounding his entire body suddenly vanished, and even his breathing became easier.

(Great! It worked!)

Siegfried rejoiced inwardly.

The midday sun pierced through the dense foliage, casting a dappled pattern of light and shadow on the ground. Two sparrows flew overhead, and the entire forest fell into an eerie silence.

After a long moment, a cool voice broke the silence. Although the speaker tried to conceal it, Siegfried could still hear the surprise in their tone.

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"How can it be you?"

Siegfried took a deep breath to steady himself, carefully weighing his words. Every sentence he uttered now could either save his life or end it.

He let out a cold snort before speaking, "Not bad. Few can wound me like that."

The skill [Bluffing] was in full force!

The cool voice fell silent for a moment before speaking again.

"Why are you here?"

"Do you really need to know? You have two choices: One, put down your weapon, and I'll spare your life. Two, continue fighting, but I won't hold back anymore."

Siegfried snapped his fingers, and the Wanderer's Manual appeared in his left hand. He assumed a stance, indicating he was about to get serious.

"Your stealth skills are indeed impressive, among the best I've ever seen. But..."

"I'll count to five. If you don't come out, I'll destroy this entire forest."

As he spoke, Siegfried slowly raised the short sword in his hand, as if gathering power.

"One!"

"Two!"

There was still no movement around him.

"Three!"

(Please, please come out! I'm begging you! (?_?))

Siegfried was almost crying inside, but his face remained stern, his voice deep and unwavering.

"Four!"

Still no response. Siegfried's breathing began to become labored.

"Four... four and a half~"

Just as this pathetic phrase was about to slip out...

A figure jumped down from a tree on his right.

The newcomer wore a black mask and scarf, dressed in a black bodysuit covered with a chainmail-like stocking. Yellow brass armor protected their hands and feet, and a folding fan with only its ribs intact hung at their waist. A bright red plum blossom was embroidered on their right shoulder.

Siegfried was momentarily stunned.

(What kind of outfit is this? A Chinese-style female ninja??)

But he quickly regained his composure. After all, this was another world; all sorts of strange characters existed here. This woman probably just had unique tastes.

Having successfully intimidated his opponent, Siegfried became greedy for more. After getting slashed in the waist, didn't he deserve to squeeze out some information?

With a mischievous smile tugging at his lips, he lowered the broken sword he had been holding aloft and said in a low voice:

"Obedient, aren't you? Introduce yourself, assassin. Judging by your appearance, you must have quite a few stories to share."

This was typically his opening line when interviewing candidates in his role as an HR officer at the company.

However,

The response he received made Siegfried's brain short-circuit.

"Qi Gong? Is that you?"

"......"

(Qi Gong? What Qi Gong? Does this world have Qi Gong too?)

(Wait, why is she speaking Chinese?)

An extremely bad premonition rose from the depths of his heart.

He scrutinized the Chinese-style female ninja from head to toe.

The first thing that caught his eye was a pair of long, shapely legs, so fair they seemed to reflect light.

These beautiful legs looked so familiar, as if he had seen them more than once in the past.

Yes, they seemed to be the legs that would pass behind him every day at work, the ones he couldn't help but glance at when leaving the office...

The Chinese-style female ninja removed her black mask, revealing a face with cold, striking features, especially a particularly attractive nose.

"Yang... Yang Jing?"

...............

Everyone in the village was shocked because Siegfried, who had hurriedly left earlier, returned with a strangely dressed, breathtakingly beautiful woman. According to Siegfried, she was his childhood sweetheart.

Of course, no one believed such nonsense. How could a country boy who grew up in a small village have such a beautiful childhood sweetheart?

But under the influence of [Bluffing], the villagers reluctantly accepted this setting.

In Siegfried's room.

"Shannon, why didn't you tell me it was Yang Jing?"

Siegfried asked, barely containing his anger.

[I told you that removing your hood would resolve the crisis. You chose to bluff on your own.]

"Why didn't you tell me it was Yang Jing!"

Siegfried's forehead veins bulged, on the verge of exploding.

[You didn't ask.]

"You damn system, you were just watching me make a fool of myself, weren't you!"

[Wanderer, we Historians are professionally trained and would never harm any Wanderer...]

[Unless we can't resist.]

Siegfried's expression twisted uncontrollably.

Hello? Is this the Space Administration? Do you have any plans for Mars colonization?

Yes, I'm willing to settle on Mars!