Krith, who had been tailing him for nearly half a day, had no intention of waiting any longer. He planned to seize the man now and interrogate him for the information they needed. This forest was the perfect ambush site, and the target seemed remarkably confident in the surrounding security.
Whoosh!
Richter, who was focused on the path ahead while riding his horse, suddenly heard the whistle of slicing air behind him. Without a moment's thought, he flattened himself against the horse's back and rolled toward one side of the saddle, gripping the reins tight.
Sough—
A blood-red blade of energy streaked past exactly where his head had been a second ago. The sheer sharpness of the aura left a bead of cold sweat rolling down his temple.
"NEIGH—!!!"
Richter managed to dodge the strike, but his mount was not so fortunate. The blood blade buried itself deep into the horse's neck, causing the animal to let out a scream of agony. In its pain-induced frenzy, the horse reared up violently.
"Damn it!"
Richter's eyes narrowed. He quickly released the reins and leaped away from the thrashing horse, simultaneously drawing the straight sword at his waist.
Clang!
Sensing a sudden threat from his flank, he hurriedly swung his sword to parry. The sound of metal clashing against metal rang through the woods. He managed to deflect the blow, but not entirely. The blood-edged dagger grazed past, leaving a stinging gash on his cheek despite the parry.
"Tch!"
The pain forced him to squint instinctively, but he realized his mistake instantly. As he forced his eyes back open, a dark shadow was already upon him. The figure stayed low to the ground, closing the ten-meter gap like a loosed arrow.
He could clearly see the razor-sharp dagger in the stranger's hand, stained with dark crimson blood. The serrated edge sent a chill down his spine.
Clang—!
Barely blocking the thrust, Richter performed a desperate roll and scrambled back until his shoulders hit a massive tree. He took a deep breath, gripped his sword with both hands, and lunged forward with an upward slash!
Krith stepped back, easily evading the strike, then looked down at the small tear in his robes near his chest.
"Your strength is somewhat surprising," Krith remarked coolly.
"Who are you? Why are you attacking me?" Richter demanded. "Do you have any idea that you are assaulting the butler of the Toriland family?!"
"If I didn't know who you were, why would I bother attacking an old man just passing through? That's hardly the behavior of a Blood Warrior."
Krith slowly shrugged off his long outer robe, revealing the light armor beneath. Now that his cover was blown, there was no need for the restrictive garment to hinder his movements.
Richter stared grimly at Krith's face, which was masked tightly. Although he didn't recognize the individual, the words and techniques made the faction clear. This was the newly emerged Blood Faction. He hadn't expected them to target the Toriland family...
"I suggest you leave immediately. It won't be long before the guards discover what's happening here."
"I imagine the Carian soldiers in Toriland Town are a bit too busy to worry about this road right now, especially after what just happened," Krith countered.
A red glow flashed beneath Krith's feet. Blood acted like a lubricant, propelling his steps with unnatural speed. This was his own specialized assassination footwork: the Path of Blood.
Richter's heart tightened. He raised his longsword and swung out in a desperate defense.
In the next instant, two serrated daggers crossed in a flash.
CLANG!
The sound of the impact was as sharp as a hammer hitting an anvil, and sparks showered into the air. Richter's pupils dilated; he felt the strength in his arms fail as his blade was forced upward, completely out of his control.
Several streaks of red light cut through the air, followed by the sickening sound of flesh being sliced.
Thud!
After carving several gashes into key points on Richter's body, Krith spun and delivered a heavy kick to the man's chest, pinning him against the tree trunk.
"Cough... argh!"
The heavy impact to his chest, combined with the multiple bleeding wounds, caused Richter to cough up a mouthful of blood. As he struggled to reach for his fallen straight sword, a blade of blood whistled through the air and severed his fingers.
"AAAAAAGH!!!!"
Bang!
Krith lunged forward, slamming one hand over the butler's mouth and pinning his head back against the tree.
"I told you, your strength surprised me—surprised me by how weak it is. I suggest you stop struggling, or I can't guarantee you'll stay alive."
Krith stared directly into Richter's eyes. Seeing the glimmer of terror within them, he slowly pulled his hand away and stood over the man.
"What... what do you want?" Richter wheezed.
"Tell me the defensive layout of the Toriland estate. I want the guard distribution, a map of the mansion, and most importantly... tell me where Camo Toriland is."
"In your dreams!!!" Richter snarled like a cornered beast.
Despite the defiance, Krith saw the flicker of hesitation and the raw fear of death in the man's eyes.
"AAAAAAAGH!!"
Both of the butler's palms were suddenly skewered by daggers. The intense pain forced a horrific scream from Richter's throat, but it was cut short by a punch to the jaw from Krith. They couldn't afford to attract too much attention with such noise.
"If you won't talk, I don't mind using more... specialized methods. I don't think you'd enjoy them."
Krith knelt down, looking Richter in the eye. He extended a finger, coating it in a layer of blood that hardened into a sharp claw, and began to slowly poke it toward the man's eye.
"Stop! I'll talk! I'll talk!"
Krith paused, retracted his hand, and made a silent gesture for him to proceed. He was actually a bit surprised the man had broken so quickly. However, he didn't fully trust him yet; he remained on high alert to ensure he wasn't being led into a trap.
Relieved that the torture had stopped, Richter lowered his head and began to detail the Toriland family's defenses. About eighty percent of what he said was true, but twenty percent was false—the most crucial lie being the location of Lord Camo.
Krith listened without confirming or denying anything. Instead, he reached out and knocked the man unconscious. He planned to take him back and verify the intelligence later.
Just then, a voice suddenly rang out behind him, causing a cold sweat to break out across Krith's back. He hadn't sensed the person's approach at all!
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Elden Ring: As the Consort, I Reject Miquella (306 Chapters – Ongoing)
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