183 Chapter 183: The Mysterious Girl (1/2)
”Oh?” the girl smiled playfully. ”What do you want to ask me?”
”Who are you?”
”Wouldn't you like to know?” the girl teased me. ”Why are you so interested in me?” she raised her hands in mock outrage. ”Are you hitting on me?”
”Isn't it the other way around?” I replied dryly, trying not to roll my eyes. The girl continued to giggle mischievously.
”I'm just an ordinary girl. There's nothing interesting about me at all.”
”Really?” I snorted. ”Even though you're pretty skilled?”
”Skilled? Whatever do you mean?” the girl acted innocently. ”Don't be daft. If you hadn't intervened when you did, I would be in real trouble, you know?”
”Both you and I know that that's a lie,” I retorted. ”You slipped out of that thug's grip so easily and quickly before anyone realized it. That takes some real skill. And when the thug attacked with a knife, you were the one who subtly and gently guided my movements and allowed me to smoothly evade to the side so that I can counterattack. Furthermore…”
I studied her for a few moments.
”You also don't seem to be on your guard around me. You know my name, and you didn't even pull away or flinch when I placed my arm around you.” Sad to say, that was the typical response of most girls when I got even one centimeter near them. Okay, I was probably exaggerating, but I was rarely in such close physical proximity with them that I was surprised she went along. ”Unless you were super-confident or familiar enough with me, you wouldn't just let a male stranger approach you so closely and follow him wherever. And since I don't know you, I'm guessing it's the former – you're so skilled that you are confident that you'll be able to escape no matter what sort of situation you end up in. Am I correct, Miss?”
”Richard…” the girl was giggling, impressed. ”I knew it. So you recognized me.”
”No, I don't,” I replied irritably. ”Haven't you been listening? I don't know you at all. That's why I'm wondering…why do you know my name? Just who the hell are you?”
”You and I have met once before, you know?” the girl chuckled as she lowered her head slightly. ”Our first encounter was so intense right from the start…”
”…huh?” I gaped at her, having no idea what she was saying.
”It was my first time having such a rough experience, you know?” the girl continued as she tightened her grip on my arm. ”In fact, it was so hard that I lost consciousness immediately.”
”Uh, what?” I scratched the back of my head as I frowned. ”I'm sorry, I don't follow. I don't remember any intense encounter with you…”
”Fu fu…I can't believe how you continued to set your beast on me even after you blasted me with so much white stuff…”
”…white stuff…?” I repeated incredulously. She nodded, hiding her mouth with her free hand while giggling.
”Black and white stuff,” she amended. ”Followed by a golden explosion at the end.”
Lady…I had no idea what you're talking about. With every new revelation I was finding myself increasingly lost.
”After I was engulfed by that golden spell of yours that you fired from your lion beast, I ended up getting knocked out.”
Lion beast…golden spell…ah. Leo and his Regulus spell. That meant the black and white stuff was probably either Gan Jiang and Mo Ye or Castor and Pollux. The girl was clearly talking about a battle I had with her.
Unfortunately, I had fought too many enemies to be able to remember them all. So I shrugged. Until I suddenly recalled the piercing emerald eyes.
…the mask, and the poisoned daggers…
”Oh.”
I immediately remembered who she was.
”You're from that time…”
The girl let go of my arm and practically waltzed to the front, turning around to beam at me brilliantly.
”I am Anastasia. I'm an Assassin that you defeated all those nights ago in Jing Tian City.”
”Right outside my school,” I confirmed with a nod. Anastasia didn't deny that, and instead continued to smile dazzlingly at me.
”That's correct.”
That was right. I recalled that fateful incident not too many weeks ago, when I was suddenly assaulted by three Assassins outside my school while on my way home. I remembered Anastasia as the green-eyed Assassin who wielded poisonous weapons, and had to be extra careful of her. She was the only one I incapacitated, though. I killed her comrade with Lyra, and then tried to take out the last one, but the leader of the trio was skilled and fast enough to escape even my Vega.
Even so, right after I drove them away and captured the green-eyed Assassin, someone else showed up shortly after.
”Wait…didn't Instructor Feng Hai and the Silver Wolves take you away?”
Then I stiffened, realizing something. If Anastasia was here, then…
”You managed to escape from the Silver Wolves?”
”Relax!” Anastasia laughed as she tugged my arm. ”Of course not! The Silver Wolves are an elite mage mercenary guild. There's no way I'll be able to escape them, right?”
”Then how are you here?”
”The answer is obvious.” Anastasia wagged her finger in front of my face. ”I was hired by the Silver Wolves.”
”…huh?”
That was so out of left field that I didn't expect it. I continued to stare at Anastasia with disbelieving eyes.