The guard's eyes flew wide with shock and disbelief as his body became numb. It was like he could no longer move from where he stood, as though some unseen force held him back.

Was it because he was now staring into Zavry's blazing eyes?

“Please calm down, Zavry. This will only make things worse. You know we have limited time, and to kill the prince silently—and leave without you having to kill any guards who spot you—…let him go.”

Rune’s convincing words rang in Zavry’s mind.

Rune was making a valid point. There was no need for unnecessary killing. The mission was only to eliminate the prince, and if Zavry killed even one guard, it could easily spiral out of control. One death could lead to another if others discovered what had happened, and that would only draw more attention.

It would also waste precious time.

Zavry had limited time to complete the mission. If that time elapsed, it meant the mission would fail—rendered futile before it was even finished.

Finally, Zavry let the man go. The rain had lessened, though it still fell lightly.

As the man's body regained movement, he shifted his gaze.

"You dare cast a spell on me, you sorcerer?" he growled, his voice rising in anger as he avoided Zavry's eyes, clearly afraid of being hypnotized again.

“F…fifteen minutes left,” Zavry said to himself. His expression turned calm, and the blaze in his eyes faded. He opened his palm, and a see-through blade formed in his hand.

'Let's get this over with,' he thought.

The castle guard stood frozen in utter shock. How had this sorcerer managed to summon a blade from thin air? In fact, it didn’t even look like a normal knife—it was all blade, pure and gleaming, with no visible hilt.

A cold dread crept up his spine. Was this man even human? The thought flickered in his mind—that perhaps he was something more, a sorcerer mixed with something else entirely, but the question never fully formed.

There was no time for answers.

Danger was right in front of him.

Before the man could fully comprehend what he saw, Zavry flung the blade. It sliced through the rain and vanished into the darkness beyond the gate.

The guard chuckled mockingly, and a cough escaped his lips in relief as his earlier fear dissolved.

Rune stayed silent. Of course, he had barely expected Zavry to listen to him. After all, Zavry usually did whatever he wanted—it was nothing new.

"Seems like you missed. Better luck next—"

His words died instantly. A choked cough escaped his lips—followed by blood as it dripped down his chin.

His eyes bulged in shock as the blade burst through the back of his throat and tore out from the front. His body slammed against the gate before slowly sliding downward, his eyes still open but already lifeless.

Rain continued to fall, striking his face as if mocking him in silence. The umbrella he had been holding slipped from his grasp and rolled across the ground, coming to a quiet stop.

Zavry's lips curved into a grin.

“You were right about one thing,” he said quietly. “I had better luck.” Slipping his hand into the man's pocket and retrieving the gate key. Calmly, he walked to the center of the gate and unlocked the padlock.

"Bro, you have to be quick about this. The prince isn't just any rank—he's a B-rank. I'm sure he already sensed something was off. This would've been easier if he were just an E-rank," Rune said through their link.

In this system of ranks, the higher the rank, the stronger your power, and the lower the letter, the weaker your power.

Zavry chuckled inwardly. After he finished unlocking the gate, he pushed it open and responded through the mind link.

'Patience is the key,' he replied coolly, tossing the key aside. His hands slipped into his pants pockets as he strolled forward like he had all the time in the world.

Rune didn't understand him. This wasn't the time for jokes…

“One more thing,” Zavry added calmly as he moved through the compound. The guards remained unaware—they couldn't see him. He had made himself invisible.

His eyes shifted upward, landing on a small balcony area....the one supposedly close to the prince’s room.

“Never underestimate an E-rank,” he said inwardly, leaping up swiftly. He landed gracefully on the railing and revealed himself, becoming visible once more. He moved to the window and slowly raised it open.

"Seems like Mr. Prince Charming will be having a permanent sleep tonight," He chuckled darkly to himself.

Rune was silent now, praying time would slow down as they didn't have much left.

Zavry squatted at the window, then slipped into the room. It was dimly lit, as only the bedside lamp had been turned on.

As Rune had predicted, the prince was already standing alert. He must have sensed something off, his eyes calmly fixed on Zavry.

"What do you want?" the prince asked, assuming a fighting stance. His eyes stared at Zavry coldly as he observed him, watching for his next move.

Zavry simply pointed at him. That caught the prince off-guard. As he was about to speak before he could even think—Zavry moved. The prince's body shifted backward as he instinctively dodged.

But nothing had happened.

Zavry hadn't even attacked.

He stood on the other side of the room, casually drinking a glass of water like nothing had happened and as if he wasn’t standing in a stranger’s room. As he gulped it down, his eyes scanned the space for a bathroom.

“How many minutes left, Rune?” he asked.

Rune's voice came low and defeated. He had given up. At this rate, they'd be going back to level one.

“Tch”

“Three minutes.”

Zavry finished the last drop of water as the prince observed him warily, trying to figure out this unpredictable man and why he was here. The prince could sense he was not from this world, and that would mean he was sent to kill—

Then, in a flash, Zavry moved again. He flung the glass upward, shattering it against the ceiling. As the shards began to fall, Zavry's legs swiftly shifted, and he kicked each piece midair, launching them toward the prince with speed and precision.

The prince dodged swiftly, but it had all been a trap. He was so focused on the flying shards that he had not realized Zavry's movement.

Zavry moved like lightning, slashing the prince clean in half with the poisonous blade while simultaneously preventing the shards from connecting with his skin, dodging as they pierced the prince’s skin instead.

The prince's body fell into two, sliced like a cucumber chopped in half.

Blood splattered across Zavry's clothes and also stained the bed.

A small glowing ball rose from the prince's chest, but as Zavry shifted his hands to cover it, it vanished instantly.

Zavry moved quickly to the bathroom to pee—he had been holding it for a long time.

“We need to leave,” Rune warned.

Just then, loud banging echoed from the door. One of the guards stationed nearby had noticed the disturbance first. Although he had heard a loud shatter earlier and chose to ignore it, the noise now felt too serious to dismiss. He immediately alerted the others, and within moments, they began searching the area together.

“Five… four… three… two…" Rune counted worriedly.

Zavry's hands moved swiftly, and a portal opened before him. Without hesitation, he stepped into it just before it closed.

Rune sighed heavily.

“That was close, Zavry. You really need to start taking your missions seriously,” he scolded.

“Isn't it awesome, though? Prince Charming died in his own luxury,” Zavry replied as he fixed his pants, chuckling darkly.

He moved through the straight line of space within the portal until he reached the door to his main world. He opened it and stepped back into his small room—only to be greeted by a strange smell.

Zavry's eyes widened as he cursed inwardly.

“Shit.”

He leapt up the stairs, swung open the door, and was welcomed with a blazing gift.

His house was on fire.

What made it even more surprising was the cause: the noodles he had been cooking before leaving.

He had forgotten to turn off the gas.