A Novel Concept - He Who Eludes Death-Chapter 318: Encounter with a Fan

More than a kilometer above the ground, an invisible mist seeped through the doors of an elevator, swirling into a second lobby. The vapor hung in the air for a moment before coalescing at the center of the room, taking on a human form.

Bare-chested and wearing only a pair of sleek black suit trousers, Priam stretched before glancing at his shoes. After a brief moment of thought, he crouched down to remove the loafers that would hinder his movements in the high-intensity fight he anticipated.

“Not even trying to be inconspicuous anymore?” asked his shadow as it rose, gaining volume and color to reveal a stunning young woman.

“We’re on the two hundred and ninetieth floor of a villain’s tower. If the guards show up, convincing them I’m just a lost tourist isn’t going to cut it.”

“So you’ll knock them out with the stench of your feet?”

Priam rolled his eyes. “You’re only complaining because of your heightened perception. My feet barely smell.”

In truth, his skin didn’t like the contact of leather; it made him sweat.

“The funk wafting off them is practically assaulting my nostrils, and you’re blaming me?” Jasmine raised an eyebrow. “Nice gaslighting.”

With a grunt, Priam summoned Pyro. A shower of flames bathed his feet, incinerating any lingering odor. “There. Can we drop the subject now?”

“Thanks. So, you’re keeping the pants?” Jasmine asked, watching as Priam straightened up.

“Yep. The wool’s super soft.”

“That’s because it’s cashmere—or the Arkanean equivalent, anyway.”

“If you say so. Either way, it’s comfortable, and it keeps my red boxers hidden.”

“... and your cute little butt,” Jasmine murmured.

“Pardon?”

“Nothing. This way,” she said quickly, slipping toward a door across from the elevator.

They entered a spacious antechamber outfitted with plush couches and a massive window overlooking the city below. A young woman, lost in thought, stood by the glass, gazing at the view. She didn’t react to Jasmine’s entrance but turned at the sound of Priam’s bare feet on the tiled floor.

Priam was surprised by the stranger’s sharp hearing. Following [Phantom]’s advice should have made him undetectable to an average Arkanean.

This one isn’t ordinary.

Tall, gaunt, and pale as ash, the stranger resembled a starving predator. Dangerous… and visibly startled. Priam turned to Jasmine for her take, only to find his friend frozen, her expression mirroring the stranger’s surprise.

“Jasmine?!”

“Cassandre?!”

Cassandre took a tentative step forward, then hesitated. “Is it really you?”

“In the shadow.”

“Prove it.”

Jasmine pointed to her lower abdomen. “Your pubic scar—you tell everyone you got it in a knife fight, but the truth is, you sliced yourself shaving with a machete after a drunken night out. I warned you it was a stupid idea.”

With the System, impersonators were bound to appear, capable of fooling even [Identification]. A power display paired with a few personal secrets made for a solid authenticity test.

“And you? Are you really you?” Jasmine challenged.

The second assassin’s lips curved into a grin. “You botched your first mission, killing the target’s twin. When his brother entered the room, he slipped on his sibling’s blood and cracked his skull on the edge of the bed. The police ruled it a domestic dispute, and the Guild masters praised your staging.”

Jasmine returned the smile. As though receiving permission, Cassandre vaulted over a couch and enveloped the shadowy figure in an embrace.

Priam tensed, ready to vaporize Cassandre if she proved hostile. While he trusted Jasmine’s ability to fend for herself, he couldn’t help being protective.

When the newcomer began sobbing in Jasmine’s arms, Priam relaxed slightly and averted his gaze out of courtesy. Three minutes later, the embrace loosened. Cassandre was ready to talk. The trio settled on one of the couches.

“What are you doing here?” Jasmine asked.

“I—” Cassandre hesitated, glancing at Priam. “Is he safe?”

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“He’s very dangerous,” Jasmine replied with a smirk, “but not to me.”

Simultaneously, she sent Priam a message through their link. “She was my partner before the Tutorial. The sister I never had.”

“Is she still?”

“That’s what I’m trying to find out.”

Cassandre studied Priam, who gave her a curt nod. A flicker of surprise crossed her face when her attempt to identify him failed, but she continued.

“After the Tutorial, there was… infighting within the Guild. When it was over, two of the five Twilights were dead. Only One, Two, and Five remained.”

“The Guild changed direction,” Jasmine deduced.

Cassandre nodded. “Why stay loyal to Arkana in such a vast universe? What can nobles offer us when their wealth is meaningless? They wanted to betray our civilization… Well, it made no difference to me; I followed orders.” Her skeletal hands began to tremble. “A month ago, Two died, and I realized I had to leave.”

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“Why?”

Cassandre bit her pale, bloodless lips. “You know Five. ‘Every kill plants a seed of vengeance. Never forget to uproot it.’ When I heard about Two, I knew I was next.”

Jasmine scowled. “You and Two…”

“He took me under his wing.”

“You mean he fucked you.”

Cassandre didn’t answer, twisting her hands instead.

“Fuck,” Jasmine muttered. “Well, you needed a boss to protect you from the Guild… and you chose Dal Cal? That’s a shit decision.”

A bitter laugh escaped Cassandre’s lips. “Didn’t have much of a choice. The other Barons refused me. Nobody wants a rogue element in their crew right now.”

It didn’t take an expert to guess how Dal Cal had secured her loyalty. Cassandre’s pathetic appearance spoke volumes. The junkie suddenly lifted her head. “But that doesn’t matter now. You’re back, and you’re the Champion!” Her eyes shone brightly above her dark circles.

Priam and Jasmine exchanged a look.

“How do you know that?” Jasmine asked.

“You’re the target of one of the Hideout’s side missions. Killing you would let us become Champions too.”

Priam winced. The Hideout—the equivalent of the Colosseum for thieves and assassins—offered lucrative rewards, including the Heartstone in his possession. If the Hideout had put a price on Jasmine’s head, his own was likely up there too. The Champion wasn’t afraid of human assassins but worried that an amateur might cause collateral damage in an attempt to reach him.

“I figured you visited the Hideout during your Reunion.”

“I hold the record for most missions completed by a Tier 0, but they didn’t suggest I assassinate myself. Strange, right?” shot Jasmine in his mind.

With both Champions remaining silent, Cassandra added, “It’s a Mythic-tier mission for Tier 0s, if that’s any comfort. No more than four of us have unlocked it, and I doubt the other three will try.”

“Mmh. The Guild knows, don’t they? That’s why I’m an honorary Twilight now.”

“Not just honorary!” Cassandre exclaimed. “You’re one of the Guild’s masters. If you vouch for me…”

Jasmine met Priam’s eyes. He shrugged. Your call.

“I’m not going back,” Jasmine admitted. “The Guild was never my home, and the masters are right: this universe is bigger than Arkana. Even if I wanted to, I’m evolving in Elysium now.”

“What does that mean?”

“We’ll talk about it later,” Jasmine dismissed. They had a mission to complete, and time waited for no one. At least not for low Tiers. “Is the Baron here?”

Cassandre flinched, brushing her cheekbone. Beneath the makeup, Priam spotted a bruise. “He just went to bed… Why?”

“We’re here to kill him.”

The mention of her new employer’s murder didn’t seem to faze Cassandra. She merely raised an eyebrow. “He’s a Tier 3.”

“A Tier 3 who spent most of his life without a real System,” Priam interjected. “I’d say it’s doable.”

“You’re either arrogant or insane. Both tend to die quickly.”

Priam burst out laughing. “I’m both, and I can confirm.”

Cassandre turned to Jasmine. “I always wondered if you were a lesbian, but it turns out you just have catastrophically bad taste in men.”

“Priam’s virtues overshadow his flaws,” Jasmine defended. Love was blind.

“Priam?” Cassandre’s eyes widened. “Like Priam Azura?!”

“The one and only,” the man in question replied with a small smirk.

The young assassin sprang to her feet. “I’ve been a fan since your first Achievement!”

“...That’s kind of you,” Priam said, leaning back into the couch, slightly overwhelmed by her enthusiasm.

“Just two days ago, the humans said you took down an alien Tribulation! Is that true? Did you really visit a third universe to find it?”

“Well,” Priam started, shifting uncomfortably as her excitement grew. “It was more like a fragment of a universe, but yeah.”

“Fantastic!” Cassandre blushed, her awe palpable. “I’m so sorry about the Tier 3—I thought… But you’ve killed one before, right? What did it look like?”

“It was an undead skeletal titan.”

“Incredible!” Cassandre grabbed Priam’s hands and squeezed them tightly, holding them close to her chest in the process. “I’m not as skilled as Jasmine, but if there’s anything I can do—”

“We’ll let you know,” Jasmine interjected, stepping between them. She pried Cassandre off Priam, irritation flashing across her face. “Let’s focus on the present. Can you get us to Dal Cal?”

Cassandre reluctantly tore her gaze from Priam. “Well, the place is locked down tight—reinforced doors, mass detectors, lasers, ultrasonic sensors, radio and magnetic scanners, plus guards everywhere. He’ll know you’re coming and bolt the moment he sees you.”

“We’re that scary, huh?” Jasmine’s tone dripped with sarcasm. Could a Tier 3 really fear two Tier 0s?

“Not you alone, but he won’t believe the Guild would send its Champion without heavy backup,” Cassandre explained, biting her lip. “Unless…”

“What? Speak your mind.”

“Unless he thinks you’re here to cut a deal. Here’s what I’m thinking.”

Jasmine raised an eyebrow at Cassandre’s plan but eventually nodded. Priam, on the other hand, groaned multiple times before finally agreeing, persuaded by his friend.

Before heading out, Jasmine handed Priam her two daggers and her red thong—whose color matched his boxer.

“It’ll get in the way,” she explained nonchalantly.

Priam had a really bad feeling about this plan.

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