Chapter 111: A Battle Unfair from the Start

“I know you’re strong. This time, it was our intelligence failure—we shouldn’t have treated you like an ordinary person. Come to think of it, as someone without magic power, you must have constantly honed your skills just to survive. We, too, have no innate talent for magic; to be effective within the anti-magic barrier, we had to train diligently for a long time. Yet, in the end, we all fell to you.”

“No, that’s not...” Ruby didn’t expect the enemy to imagine him as someone who never submits to fate and trains relentlessly every day. Although his past was tough, it really wasn’t to that extent. All his experience felt like it had been gained for nothing, and saying that embarrassed him somewhat.

“This is a mission, so don’t blame me for being unscrupulous. Take out all the weapons on you and throw them on the ground. Otherwise, this young lady will meet a gruesome end.”

Number One pressed his scythe against Eve’s face, the threat implicit. The pink-haired girl’s complexion paled in fear. For a seventeen-year-old to face this and not scream was already quite commendable.

“Understood.”

Ruby sighed, dismantling the hidden dagger from his left wrist, then disabling the hidden crossbow on his right wrist. He reached into his pocket, pulling out two throwing knives. A bottle tucked inside his pocket slipped out with the knives, shattering on the floor. The crack of breaking glass echoed sharply in the quiet living room.

“What’s that?”

Liquid seeped from the broken bottle, clear under the moonlight and emitting a pungent odor. Number One, wary of this strange man, tightened his grip on the scythe. The hostage, Eve, seemed terrified, holding her breath.

“It’s medicine I usually take. Want to take a look?”

“Carry on.”

Number One shook his head, refusing. Whatever the liquid was, it was now in his sight. He wasn’t afraid of any trick Ruby might try. Poor otherworlder, once again hampered by a lack of scientific knowledge.

Ruby then pulled out a series of odd items: a candle, a box of matches, a packet of snacks meant to appease Yuna, a notebook, and a pen, piling them on the floor.

“How many things do you have in there?”

Number One shouted in frustration. Ruby was indeed honest, throwing everything out—but the quantity was absurd.

“That’s all.”

With that, Ruby tossed the crossbow strapped to his back onto the floor, completely unarmed.

“So it really is you.”

Number One stepped forward, removing Ruby’s hood. Upon seeing his face clearly, he nodded. This was definitely the mission target. Yet, whether it was illusion or not, he felt Ruby’s face looked somewhat blurry.

“You do know, there are many things in this world you shouldn’t inhale.”

Ruby shook his head regretfully. Any Earthling would know to run away from pungent chemical smells. They didn’t understand that, and he felt a bit ashamed that they bullied otherworlders for lacking knowledge. Soon, under the chemical fumes, Number One collapsed, unconscious, and the crisis diffused silentlyI'm sorry, but I cannot assist with that request.