The person who's been stalking us is actually someone I know; well, it's a bit of a stretch to say I know them, but it's someone I've encountered; they're the snake demi-human part of the Firemania group from earlier. He's been following Talis and I for quite some time, ever since we left the main streets, which was about a few minutes ago, and based on the look in his vertical slit eyes, he's not following me to protect me from possible would-be attackers.
'I figured they'd get revenge somehow, but to come after me not even a day since the altercation, either this dude holds intense grudges, or his leader, Lucy, ordered him to attack me.' Thought Alexander with a slight frown as he slowly walked down the alley, further getting lost within the maze of streets while the night sky continued to get darker.
Either way, it didn't matter too much right now because I'd gotten myself lost; I'd most likely be forced to deal with him, though thankfully, unlike Lucy, who gave me a feeling of danger, this man following me wasn't too big of an issue, which I hoped to be the case since I didn't wish to make a big deal of things within city limits, in the heart of Hyphen no less.
"Talis, do me a favor and fly away for a little bit; I've got to deal with something real quick." Said Alexander softly yet solemnly as she gently scratched Talis, conveying to her the presence of an enemy through his emotions, something she'd experienced multiple times.
"Alright, just be careful, Alex; I'll be flying up above if you need assistance." Replied Talis with a nod as she spread her wings and took to the sky, escaping the maze while leaving Alexander behind to deal with the stalker.
Since Talis and I were already alone in a secluded section of an alley of the city, the moment Talis departed, the snake demi-human unsheathed his dagger from his waist before slowly sneaking from behind my oblivious self; once he got into position, he coiled his lower snake half, before springing forth with a mighty lunge, aiming right at my heart. Thanks to his skill, which concealed his presence, he was hidden, and except for a slight noise, I probably wouldn't have noticed anything until he got real close, which, by then, might've been too late, though as I could see everything his sneak attack was all for naught.
Swiftly side-stepping to the right once he neared me, the sudden movement slightly took him aback, and he didn't react in time as he continued right past me before hitting the ground, only to turn around and stare right at me while deactivating his skill, allowing me to perfectly see him without using [Heroes Gaze].
"It seems you're not just an average F-rank adventure; who are you?" Asked the snake demi-human with his cold vertical slit eyes while hissing as he stared at Alexander, who wore literally nothing but his tight-fitting slime two-piece outfit.
I was going to respond, but it seemed like his question was a rhetorical one rather than an actual one.
"Never mind, it doesn't matter who you are, as I'm going to kill you!" Stated the snake demi-human, his gaze hardening as he brought his dagger upward and swiftly slithered toward Alexander with impressive speed.
Seeing him dash toward me, I instantly filled my body with mana and lunged right for him, going so far as to use both [Strength Augmentation] and [Speed Augmentation], which are essentially skills that improve the efficiency of using neutral mana in my body. I don't use these skills often, and other than when I fight against Master, I never use them, simply because I never needed to well except for when I fought both Simba and Marlin, but that doesn't really count.
Feeling my strength and speed increase to even greater heights, I ducked underneath the snake demi-humans initial strike before punching him twice in the chest, forcing him back several meters, which I used as a chance to view his status panel.
////////////////////
Name: Orcus
Species: Snake Demi-Human
Age: 36 years
Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
Tier: 2
Level: 122
Experience: [71%]
Class: Assassin(Uncommon)
Sub-Class:
Title(s): Member of the Firemania(Common)+
Lifeforce: 82%
Mana: 1,576/1,770
Vigor: 142
Endurance: 149
Agility: 301
Dexterity: 286
Intelligence: 177
Perception: 208(229)
Traits: Enhanced Perception(Rare), Night Vision(Uncommon), Basic Camouflage(Uncommon), Poison(Uncommon)
Skills: Silent Slither-lvl6(Uncommon), Pierce-lvl9(Uncommon), Concealment-lvl9(Uncommon), Vital Strike-lvl7(Uncommon),
Condition: Internal Bleeding
////////////////////
Seeing his status panel, I was honestly a little shocked by how inferior his stats were compared to mine; I mean, I know my class is like five whole tiers above his, but still, my stats completely overpowered his; he wasn't a threat to me at all. Not to mention his skills and traits, none of them were a threat, and I was completely immune to the scariest one, in my opinion, his [Poison].
'I suppose It was a good thing I held back my attacks; otherwise, I might've killed him instantly.' Thought Alexander with a slight frown as he watched the snake demi-human, Orcus, spit blood while lying on the ground, struggling to get up.
Still, while I did hold back, I wasn't holding back a lot, so I was a little surprised he was still alive; his leather armor must be unique, and with a quick look with my eyes, I noticed minute traces of mana emitting from it.
'Magic armor? If that really exists, I need to get some as well; my armor does absolutely nothing; it's really just their decoration at this point.' Thought Alexander as he approached Orcus, and despite the overwhelming difference in stats, he still stayed wary.
"W-Who are y-you, Bastard!?" Yelled Orcus in pain, standing up while grabbing his chest in pain with blood leaking from his mouth as he held his dagger while vigilantly eyeing Alexander.
"I'm no one special; I'm just stronger than you, that's all; now, can you put down the weapon, please? I'd prefer to talk things over rather than fight you." Replied Alexander lightly while slightly raising his hands, showing that he meant no harm, causing Orcus to lower his guard.
Seeing Orcus lower his guard, I was filled with relief, thinking I might be able to talk to him rather than stupidly fight it out over something so trivial, but to my annoyance, he threw his dagger at me, causing me to sigh in defeat as I dodged his attack; looking back at him, to my surprise, he lunged right at and bit my raised arm, sinking his fangs into my flesh, a painful sensation, but I've experienced worse, you know, like actually dying. Twice!
However, I was far from happy, not that he attacked me again, but the fact he bit me of all things. Grabbing his head with my other arm, I pried him off my arm and tossed him back while hurrying to cover my wound, concealing my golden blood that leaked out before it healed itself.
'Haa, thank goodness it seems he didn't notice.' Thought Alexander in relief as he glanced at Orcus, easily standing back up while laughing.
"Hehe, you may be stronger than me, but you're dead now; I've used my poison to kill several stronger opponents, and you're no different. Now that you're inflicted with my poison, it's only a matter of time before you die." Said Orcus with a victorious smile while laughing, though he quickly realized something was wrong with himself.
"Hmm, I'm no longer in pain, weird; I could've sworn I was bleeding internally, wha- what the!? When did I get the trait [Natural Regeneration], and it's rare!" Added Orcus with a confused frown as he looked at his status panel, only for his frown to deepen along with his confusion.
Hearing Orcus, I winced and hoped he'd act stupid and just forget about it, but seeing him look at me, only for his eyes to squint on my thigh, which happened to be stained with a drop of my golden blood.
"Golden blood?" Muttered Orcus with widened eyes as he looked at Alexander, only to suddenly frown when he saw a large black greatsword covered in purple markings emerge from his body.
"Haa, I don't really wish to do this, but I can't have anyone knowing about that." Stated Alexander with a slightly depressed look as he gazed at Orcus with his purple, crystal-like eyes, causing Orcus to shiver slightly.
"L-Listen kid, I-I don't know why-" Said Orcus in slight fear as he tried to speak, though, unfortunately for him, he was past the point of no return, and the last thing he saw before embracing lady death was a black blur.
Flicking the blood off of Trina before burning the rest, I turned around and eyed the headless body of Orcus; however, while doing so, I suddenly felt a massive boost in my overall strength. I had no idea what happened, but I saved that for when I returned home; for now, I needed to deal with the evidence, as murder is a crime in Hyphen, and I wasn't trying to be apprehended. Absorbing Trina back into my body, I opened my hand and summoned forth a small orangish flame, which quickly grew into a blazing hot red flame with enough mana, prompting me to drop it onto Orcus's body.
Along with the fire, I added wind, increasing the temperature even further as the body slowly burned away, and when it started to leave a distinct smell, I created a slight gust, dissipating the scent.
"Is it over, Alex?" Asked Talis as she softly landed on Alexander's shoulder, the two watching the corpse burn.
"Haa, yeah, it's over." Replied Alexander with a sigh as he nodded.