The forest outside the war camp whispered with fog and dew. A crow cawed once, then silence fell again like a dropped veil. Seraphina awoke with a chill, her breath clouding in the night air. Something felt... wrong.
> [Battle Presence Detection: Activated]
Three hostile presences approaching within 5 meters.
Her eyes snapped open just as the flap of her tent was sliced through.
She rolled, barely avoiding the dagger aimed for her throat.
Assassins.
---
They were dressed in all black, their faces masked, blades glinting with poison. Not rebels. This was a different class of killer—silent, coordinated, elite.
Royal assassins.
Seraphina's body moved before she could think. Her fingers closed around the dagger hidden in her boot. She slashed upward, catching one across the thigh. Blood sprayed.
He hissed but didn't fall.
The second assassin lunged, blade aimed at her ribs. She dropped to the ground, rolled beneath the attack, and stabbed upward into his armpit—where armor was weakest.
> [Skill Upgrade: Battle Presence Detection Lv.2]
You now sense killing intent within 10 meters. Reflex speed increased by 10%.
Two down. One remained. But she was already gasping for breath, heart hammering.
> [Hidden Quest Triggered]
Title: Survive the Crown's Mercy
Objective: Survive an assassination attempt ordered by Crown Prince Caelan.
Reward: +2 Skill Points, Crown's Weakness Revealed
---
The final assassin was clever. He didn't charge. He circled her slowly, gauging her exhaustion.
"Seraphina of House Valebourne," he said coldly. "The prince sends his regards."
She narrowed her eyes. "Tell him his regards are as pathetic as his swordsmanship."
The assassin lunged—and a blade sliced through his chest.
Not hers.
A black broadsword.
Kaelrith stood behind him, eyes gleaming like a beast unleashed.
"You took too long," she muttered as the body fell.
He ignored her, stepping forward and examining her torn cloak and bloodstained hands. His jaw clenched.
"Were you trying to die?"
"No," she panted. "Just trying to prove I'm not weak."
---
> [System Alert]
Kaelrith's Favorability: 46 → 53
New Trait Unlocked: Marked by the Boss
You are now under Kaelrith's direct protection. Hostiles will be warned once.
Kaelrith didn't speak for a long time. Then he said softly, "Next time, call for me."
"I thought you didn't like weakness."
"I don't," he replied. "But that doesn't mean I want to find your corpse in the morning."
Seraphina looked away, suddenly more shaken than she wanted to admit.
He reached forward—not to restrain her, but to gently brush her hair back from her cheek. His touch was cold, calloused… and oddly careful.
"Get dressed," he said. "We need to send a message."
---
By dawn, the assassins' corpses were strung up on pikes outside the camp—faces unmasked, noble crests carved into their armor.
Seraphina watched with grim satisfaction.
The court would get the message loud and clear: she was not a pawn anymore. She had the protection of the kingdom's most dangerous man.
---
> [System Bonus Gained: Reputation +10 (Nobility, Soldiers)
Title Unlocked: Crimson Survivor
You are now feared—and respected.
---
Later, a soldier delivered a sealed letter to her tent. She recognized the wax sigil immediately: a raven over a silver crown.
The Crown Prince.
She broke the seal.
> "You've chosen a monster over your blood. Very well. When the game ends, do not expect mercy."
—Prince Caelan
She folded the note calmly.
"Monster," she whispered, "might be better than prince."