Chapter 22: Another assassination attempt.
Yeah, hhh, I made something for you too," I said, taking out three boxes.
"Before you open the boxes, let me explain," I reminded them.
"In this box, there's a knife, a small 4-inch wooden knife. It has the same chilling aura as my sword, but whoever touches the wooden knife after I've opened the box won't be affected," I explained.
I opened the box and handed it to Sofia.
"Brother, this isn't dangerous, right?" she asked cautiously.
"No, I won't hurt my sister, would I?" I reassured her.
She took the knife out of its scabbard, and Margaret felt the chilling aura, but Sofia and I didn't feel anything.
"This knife, keep it with you. When you feel threatened, take the scabbard off and, with your confidence, act. People will think that the aura is coming from you, which will buy you time to attack or for me to come help you," I explained.
Margaret's eyes lit up. "That's a great idea," she praised.
Sofia also liked the idea. "Thank you, big brother."
"Don't thank me yet; I still have something else," I said, taking out the bracelets.
"This one has your name on it, and it will have the same effect. With the knife and the bracelet, you will even scare Rank 4 individuals. They will think twice before approaching you. Just remember to keep the bracelet in the box; otherwise, your friends and normal humans might get injured," I said, handing her the bracelets.
"Wow, such a beautiful piece," Sofia commented.
I took the other box and gave it to Margaret. "This is my gift for you. It might not help you much as you're already a general, but I thought you might get jealous and beat me up," I joked.
She gave me a warm smile. "I would have felt jealous if you didn't give me a bracelet after you gave my daughter three gifts," she joked.
We laughed together. "Now, for the main event," I said, taking out my gun.
Margaret and Sofia's eyes widened.
"Is this the weapon you were talking about?" Sofia asked in amazement.
"Yes, that's my gun. It's automatic, has 9 bullets in the chamber, and can kill a Rank 4 if you hit them in the right place," I explained.
Their eyes widened. Margaret raised an argument, "But those guns were slow and took time to prepare."
"Yeah, this is an upgraded version. All you need is bullets, good aim, and the heart to kill. Then BOOM, any Rank 4 or under is dead."
Sofia and Margaret felt a chill run down their spines.
"Sofia, with this weapon, the bracelet, and the knife, you are safe until you become a general," I assured.
Margaret's eyes lit up, and tears filled her eyes. "This is... This is the best day of my life. Finally, I can rest assured that my daughter is fine."
I understood that Margaret's smile hid a lot of suffering, especially considering her line of work.
Sofia, however, wasn't entirely happy. "But big brother won't protect me anymore," she said.
I chuckled. "We can still meet. You are my sister now. Call me whenever you want to meet, and we can go shopping, train, or do something fun," I assured.
She smiled. "Alright."
"How much for the gun, Noah?" Margaret asked.
"Nah, I wouldn't charge my sister, would I?" I replied.
"Best brother ever," Sofia praised.
I smirked. "Anyway, prepare for school; we need to go."
Sofia went to her room to get ready.
Then, I turned serious. "How many people have asked you to eliminate Jack?" I asked Margaret.
She turned serious as well. "Ten, each offering 20 million. I'll give you 20 million myself, so that makes it eleven people," she explained.
"No, don't pay me. I'll do it as a job offer," I remarked.
She was shocked. "What do you mean?" she questioned.
"I mean, I want you to be my assistant, just as you work for that man you mentioned," I explained.
She fell silent, processing my proposal. After a moment, she agreed, "Cool, I'll do that. Kill Jack, and I'll be your assistant from now on. Your potential is way higher than the old man I work for anyway."
We had an agreement, and our new partnership began to take shape.
I took Sofia to her school, but suddenly, I felt danger – 10 Rank 2 and 2 Rank 3 early stage individuals were following us.
"Sofia, when we get near the school, walk normally and enter your school. After that, immediately go hide," I ordered.
Sofia, being a smart girl and noticing the seriousness on my face, understood the situation. "Please be careful, big brother," she begged.
"Don't worry, I can handle them," I reassured her.
We arrived at the school, and Sofia went to her class with a smile on her face.
I dashed out of the car towards the closest enemy, about 60 meters away. I reached him in just 3 seconds, giving him little time to react before his head was cleanly separated from his body.
The aura of my sword made the 9 Rank 2 individuals freeze in place. I seized the opportunity and lunged at them one after the other. I had no specific technique, but my sharp sword and their lower strength made quick work of them. I finished my fight in just 30 seconds, right in front of the school. Students, including Sofia, and the principal who sensed the aura, had gathered to watch.
"Who is that young man?" the principal asked the kids.
"He's my bodyguard, Principal. They came to attack me," Sofia explained.
"Stay next to me," he ordered.
"Wow, Sofia's bodyguard is powerful and cool."
"Look at his suit and that beautiful sword."
"He's handsome too."
Meanwhile, the two Rank 3 individuals were feeling the pressure and about to flee when they ran into Noah.
"Don't," Noah said.
"Don't make me chase after you; your death will be more painful," he added, walking slowly toward them.
The pressure of his sword and the fear in his cold eyes froze them in place. Noah stopped beside the first one. "Speak."
"I... We..." SLING. His head fell.
He walked toward the other guy, who had nearly wet his pants. "Speak."
"Ja... Jack's gang..." SLING. His head fell.
"Ruthless," the principal frowned.
"He's my big brother; of course, he'll be ruthless to anyone who attacks me," Sofia bragged.
Everyone in the crowd understood.
"No wonder he's so angry."
"Yeah, if they attacked my sister, I'd be angry too."
"Noah, you need to master a sword technique. If you fight a Rank 3 with a strong mind, you will struggle. Those 12 attackers were afraid of the sword aura," Reve reminded.
"After I finish Jack, I'll go train. I need to break through to the next stage anyway," I agreed.
My suit was stained with blood, but my sword remained clean. The blood slid off it as if the sword were blood-proof.
"People are returning to their classes and businesses," Sofia commented.
"My mom is coming," she added.
"I see. I'll finish dealing with Jack tomorrow, so we can put an end to these assassinations and focus on our training," I said.
"Yeah, I'm already tired of all these assassination attempts," Sofia added.
I gave her a reassuring pat on the head. "You'll need to get stronger or convince your mother to stop attracting trouble," I teased.
"She really regrets the reckless lifestyle she used to live before all these assassination attempts started. I hear her cry every night after I was attacked," she sobbed.
I sighed, "We'll make Jack's death a message to all our enemies. I'll ensure his death is so sudden that no one will dare to attack you ever again," I promised.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone