He couldn’t believe it, but he had to. After the woman had struck him, Ash’s body fell to the ground. He couldn’t move a finger, but he was still fully conscious, he could even speak and see around him. He wasn’t sure if that was done deliberately.

‘She hit my pressure points!? Me!!?’ He thought, gritting his teeth.

Pressure points, to begin with, were not widespread knowledge, just because of how difficult it was to put said knowledge into practice. To have any effect, the right pressure points, at the exact right location, and in the right order had to be pressed, with the exact right amount of strength, all of that while fighting!

It just wasn’t something realistic, and the time spent to learn how to do it, far outweighed the benefits.

Moreover, if it was ever used, it would be by a martial artist, but the woman clearly wielded a spear, and Ash could tell she was definitely a spearman. Her class was hidden, but a martial artist would not be able to wield a spear as she had.

Then again, a spearman wouldn’t have been able to block his pressure points either. It just didn’t make sense.

“Who the hell are you!??” He shouted in anger, still unable to move.

He simply couldn’t believe he had been beaten in such a way. She had to be someone special. The chief investigator, perhaps. It would be too hard to believe otherwise, and Ash wouldn’t be able to accept it.

The woman stared at him for a moment, then placed a finger in front of her mouth, and though her face was still obstructed by the hood, Ash could tell she was smirking. “I already told you, it doesn’t matter.”

Eleanor, standing a few steps away, could not believe her eyes. It was hard enough to accept that Ash had lost. He was this city’s strongest adventurer, and it had cost a small fortune to hire him. There were only two ranks above platinum in the guild, and the people who reached those ranks were more like legends than anything else.

All things considered, Ash was the strongest adventurer money could buy. She knew that to be true, and yet, he had lost miserably. She, of course, couldn’t see the battle, but it was clear from that last exchange, Ash had been treated like a child. A novice standing in front of a master.

Eleanor was afraid, more than she had ever been in her life, but she couldn’t break down now. She knew she had a habit of panicking, of blowing small problems out of proportion, but there was no one left to fix things for her. Only she could save herself.

She swallowed her saliva, her voice trembling. “Listen, I’m not sure what you think you heard, but I told you the truth Investigator.” She glanced at Ash. “We can all return to the city, and I’ll stand trial there. You can stop this now.”

In the end, Eleanor was still a noble. At most, they’d be charged with attacking an investigator, and with her father’s support, that would earn her a slap on the wrist at most. He would certainly be furious, and the mere thought of her father’s fury made Eleanor shiver, but she felt it was better than antagonizing this investigator any further.

Instead of answering Eleanor, the enigmatic woman tossed a flask to Verity, no larger than the palm of his hand. Startled, he reached out to catch it, and almost dropped it. He wasn’t exactly sure what it was, and found that in it, there was a translucent red liquid which seemed to contain special properties..

“ Drink it.” She ordered, her tone flat.

Without saying a word, Verity immediately drank it. Sure, it could be dangerous, but after seeing what she had done to Ash, it wasn’t like he could refuse her demands.

Once the last drop of liquid had gone down his throat, he felt a warmth envelop his entire body. It was soothing, and comfortable, as if he was soaking his body in the northern hot springs of his parent’s hometown. Soon, his wounds closed, his bruises faded and he even felt his fatigue be slightly alleviated.

When the effect had finally reached its ends, Verity almost felt like he had been born anew. He felt even stronger than before.

“T-thank you.” He stammered as he stood up and dusted his torn clothes. She had saved him and even healed him.

It seemed he’d survive this night after all.

‘A high-rank potion…? This isn’t some regular investigator..’ Eleanor thought as she witnessed the scene.

The woman’s glance lingered on Verity who looked around him, still struggling to take in the situation that had just transpired. “What are you doing?” She asked.

Verity looked back at her in confusion. “...me?”

“Who else?” She pointed the tip of her spear to Ash. “He’d have killed you if I hadn't come. Are you just going to keep standing there looking like an idiot?”

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Verity’s confusion only grew. “...Thanks for saving me… really, but I’m not sure what you mean?”

“Do I really have to explain this to you?” She crossed her arms. “End it.” She said, finality in her words.

The air seemed to freeze for a moment.

Ash’s eyes widened, and so did Eleanor’s. Their breaths quickened, and to them, the situation had gone from bad to worse.

‘...What?’ Verity thought, puzzled.

His own heart was now racing. The clearing felt colder, darker as she spoke those words. “But… You already defeated him, and it doesn’t look like he’ll get up anytime soon. Is that… really necessary?” Verity asked her.

The woman clicked her tongue. “So? What happens when he does get up? You think he won’t come after you? You can’t be that stupid, can you?”

Slowly, Verity’s gaze turned to Ash, and when their eyes met, cold sweat ran down the crimson haired adventurer’s face. It had been a long time since he’d genuinely felt the fear of death. He was powerless to move, so he pleaded with Verity. “Wait! I swear on my honor as a warrior that I’ll never look for you after tonight! You can believe me, our paths will never cross again!”

His voice trembled in submission, but his thoughts betrayed him. ‘Just you wait until I get out of here you worthless pig… I’ll skin you alive and feed you to the wolves.’

He would have to endure for now, though, and ensure he could get out of the forest.

Conflicted, and unable to make a decision, Verity asked the woman a question. “Why didn’t you kill him then? If you’re so worried about his revenge?”

She scoffed. “The privilege to step on an ant, but spare the next, is reserved to the one who is not afraid of the wrath of the swarm” She paused. “That’s something you cannot afford, kid.”

The words resonated in his mind. She could choose to spare him because it didn’t matter how, or when Ash tried to retaliate. Nothing he was capable of would ever reach her, and Verity was sure that Ash knew it as well.

Again, he looked at Ash, he gripped his spear, and took a few steps toward him.

“Wait!!” Eleanor shouted. “We’ll sign a contract! It’ll have the Vandervite seal on it! You might not know, but that means we have to honor it!” Her smile was shaky as she looked at the approaching Verity.

But Verity did not stop.

“Is it money you want!? Women!!? Power!?” Eleanor’s voice broke, her desperation spilling out. “Whatever you want, I’ll give you plenty!!”

She’d never care so much about another’s life usually, but she felt that if Ash really did die, she would be next.

Still, Verity kept walking, until he stood over Ash, his spear in hand.

“You can’t do this!” Ash shouted. “I can’t even defend myself, how is this fair!?” This one was addressed to the mysterious woman, but she did not answer.

Verity stared at him, as he pleaded for his life. Could he really kill a person?

He gripped his spear with both hands.

“You say you won’t look for me if I leave?” He asked Ash.

A flicker of hope appeared in Ash’s eyes.

“Y-yes!! That’s right! I’ll leave you alone!” Ash replied, stuttering.

[Your sponsor scoffs, ‘He’s a bad liar’.]

He really was.

Even without Vera’s input, Verity could almost feel the obvious hate seeping from his eyes. He hadn’t given up, he was a simply looking for his chance.

He wasn’t that good with people, but even Verity could tell that if he let Ash live, he’d die sooner rather than later. He hated that the woman was right.

Biting his lip, he raised his spear above Ash’s head.

Eleanor’s voice grew more agitated. “V-Verity, right!? Name your price, and consider a deal!!” Verity ignored her. “Just look at me! Think about my offer first!!” She begged.

When Verity continued to raise his spear, Eleanor’s pleading devolved to threats. She grit her teeth. “Y-you think you’ll be safe after this!!?? When my father hears of this, there isn’t a single corner of the Terras Kingdom you’ll be able to escape to!!!”

Her voice faded to the background as Verity put his focus on Ash. His heart raced, his palms were moist, and he felt a tightness in his chest as he continued to raise his spear.

Killing a person? Could he really do that?

As he looked up at him, Ash realized something and he began to laugh. It sounded almost hysteric. He was nervous, and afraid, but his lips curled into a sneer. “Hahaha!! You can’t, can you!? You’ve never killed someone before!!”

Verity’s hands trembled and Ash sensed that he finally had a weakness to hold on to. The man before him had never killed, maybe never even really hurt someone before, and that was something he could exploit.

Ash’s grin grew wider as Verity continued to hesitate, clearly affected by his words. “Taking a life isn’t that easy, kid! Your first kill stays with you forever! It haunts you when you sleep, and the face they made as they drew their last breath becomes ingrained in your memory!”

Verity wavered, the little resolve he had gathered disappearing.

‘Just a bit more…!’

But suddenly, Verity asked him a question, his voice quiet but firm. “... Do you remember your first kill?” He wondered.

There was a pause. “Of course…?” Ash replied, puzzled by the question.

“How many have you killed since then?”

“...?”

“Do you remember all of them too?” Verity’s grip around the shaft of his spear tightened. “Do you remember their faces as they died?”

‘What the hell is he talking about…?’ Ash thought, but he’d tell him what he wanted to hear.

“O-Of course! As I said, taking a life is no trivial matter! It takes a toll on-”

“Every single one of them?”

“Yes!”

Verity closed his eyes.

“What color are they?”

Ash was confused by the question, so Verity made it clearer.

“My eyes, what color are they?”

Ash froze, and Verity scoffed. A soft breeze passed through the clearing as silence grew between the two. It was almost comical. Ash was about to kill him just a few minutes ago, but he couldn’t even remember the color of his eyes.

All that nonsense about guilt, and remembering every single kill.

‘Trash.’

With one swift motion, Verity dug his spear through Ash’s throat. He gasped for air as blood welled up within his mouth, and before Eleanor even had the time to gasp, the light faded from Ash’s eyes.

“Amber. Hard to miss.” Verity muttered.

[You have slain an enemy.]

[You have leveled up.]

[You have leveled up.]

[You have leveled up.]

[You have leveled up.]

[You have leveled up.]

[You have overcome a dire situation. You have gained experience toward your class.]

[Your class has leveled up.]

[Your class has leveled up.]

[Your class has leveled up.]

[Your class has leveled up.]

[You have reached a class milestone.]

[You have gained a new stat.]

The system was speaking in Verity’s mind, but he couldn’t focus on what it was saying.

He had killed a person for the first time, and Ash might have been right about one thing, this moment would stick with him for a long, long time.