Time Travel? Rebirth? I Will Win This Time!

Mike Bai stared in shock at the assassin in front of him. Quickly, he turned and sprinted in the opposite direction. Fortunately, the assassin seemed momentarily stunned by the fireworks display, standing frozen, muttering prayers under his breath.

"Assassin!"

The others finally noticed the black-clad figure. William and Patrick immediately drew their swords and charged forward, while Démore positioned himself to shield Mike Bai and Anna.

The assassin quickly regained his senses, discarding his dagger to draw a short sword. A deadly dance ensued as the assassin darted and weaved with the precision of a snake, his black blade flashing with lethal intent. But William and Patrick were no amateurs. William used his longsword to block the assassin's path, while Patrick, with a swift maneuver, parried the assassin's curved blade with his own.

At that moment, Patrick swung his sword at the assassin's right hand, while William thrust his sword at the assassin's chest. The assassin, now unarmed on his right side, seemed on the verge of defeat.

"Thud!"

William's longsword did not hesitate; it plunged into the assassin's chest. Yet, as the blade sank deeper, William saw the feral, bloodthirsty gleam in the assassin's eyes.

The assassin, undeterred by the blade buried in his chest, lunged forward, crashing into William's embrace. With his unscathed left hand, he raised a crossbow.

"For the Hassassins!" the assassin shouted with a final, guttural cry.

The black bolt, driven by the force of fury, surged through the air, cutting across the backdrop of vibrant fireworks with a terrifying hiss, aiming straight for Mike Bai.

Mike Bai froze, his body paralyzed in fear, even though his eyes could clearly see the deadly missile speeding toward him. His wide eyes followed the bolt's trajectory as it rapidly grew larger.

"Ah!"

With no time to react, Mike Bai dropped to the ground, covering his head in instinctive defense. But the expected pain never came.

After a long moment, Mike Bai cautiously opened his eyes, only to find a towering figure standing in front of him.

Démore, still wearing his usual cheerful smile, said, "Mike Bai, are you alright?"

"Yes..." Mike Bai replied instinctively, his voice trembling.

"Good!" Démore murmured, and then, as quickly as a mountain collapsing, his massive frame crumpled to the ground, collapsing in front of Mike Bai.

Mike Bai stared in disbelief at Démore, the good-natured uncle who had always been there for him, his ever-present smile now gone, replaced by the half-sunk crossbow bolt embedded in his back.

"Démore!!" William dropped the assassin's lifeless body and rushed to Démore's side.

"Quick! Get a doctor!" Mike Bai, finally snapping back to his senses, began directing the others to carry Démore onto the nearby wagon, heading straight for the town's medical clinic.

As the bumpy wagon ride continued, Mike Bai pressed his hand over Démore's wound, only to notice the surrounding flesh turning a strange purple-red. In panic, he leaned closer and saw that the black crossbow bolt exuded an unnaturally sweet scent.

"The bolt's poisoned!" Mike Bai's voice quivered with urgency.

He hastily pulled out his water skin, dousing the wound while shouting toward the wagon driver, "Faster! We need to get there faster!"

"Go!" The driver cracked the reins sharply, urging the horse forward, and the wagon's wheels began turning more swiftly.

"Please, don't let anything happen to him!" Mike Bai whispered desperately as he felt Démore's heartbeat weakening.

The doctor, a burly man with a thick beard, was practically hauled out of bed by William, but his professionalism kept him from being angry. Without hesitation, he began to assess Démore's injuries.

He instructed the young assistant to bring the necessary medicines and, with expert precision, had William and Patrick hold Démore still while he used pliers to remove the bolt, dressing the wound efficiently. The entire process was seamless, leaving Mike Bai both in awe and dizzy with anxiety.

"Doctor, will he make it?" Mike Bai asked, his voice thick with worry.

"Fifty-fifty," the doctor said, calmly washing his hands after the procedure. "Normally, someone hit by such a bolt would have been dead by the time they arrived here. But I'm not sure why this poison hasn't been as potent."

"Fifty-fifty?" Mike Bai's voice faltered, fear creeping into his tone.

The doctor handed over the removed bolt and continued, "We don't understand it fully, but the poison is unusual. However, at least we have a chance. It's up to him now."

"Pray to your God, child," the doctor added quietly as he turned to instruct his assistant to prepare more medicine.

The dim candlelight flickered as the wind blew, casting erratic shadows across the room. Mike Bai, his face drawn with concern, kept his gaze fixed on Démore. His mind replayed every memory of the jovial uncle—counting supplies, laughing as he agreed to buy ingredients for Mike Bai, always encouraging him with swordsmanship lessons. Mike Bai grasped Démore's cold hand tightly, silently praying, "God, please protect your faithful servant."

The night passed in silence.

The next morning, Mike Bai opened his tired eyes and looked at Démore, who lay still, as though unconscious. He quickly reached out, his hand trembling as he checked for any sign of life.

"Thank God, he's still breathing," Mike Bai sighed in relief, but he still couldn't help but worry about when Démore would wake, or worse, when he might not.

Anna, noticing Mike Bai had awakened, handed him a clay cup. "Drink something. You haven't had anything to drink for hours."

Mike Bai smiled at Anna's kindness, accepting the cup and drinking gratefully.

Suddenly, a loud neigh of a horse echoed outside, followed by the clamor of footsteps. The door swung open, and a disheveled Otto burst into the room.

"Mike Bai! Are you alright?" Otto's voice was filled with panic as he quickly checked Mike Bai for injuries.

"I'm fine, Uncle Otto, but Démore... he—" Mike Bai began, but Otto, upon seeing Mike Bai unharmed, exhaled in relief. His expression immediately turned serious as he glanced over at Démore's motionless form.

Mike Bai quickly summarized the events from the previous night, and Otto, looking exhausted, asked with a confused expression, "What happened? What was that light in the sky last night?"

"It was fireworks. I saw them in a book about the East. They use them for their celebrations," Mike Bai said with a nervous chuckle.

Otto nodded, understanding. "Thanks to you, the Grand Commander announced that your fireworks saved us from much worse casualties. This morning, I heard that the estate was attacked as well, and I rushed here."

"By the way, how did you manage to light up the whole sky like that?" Otto asked curiously.

"It was just some fireworks, really," Mike Bai shrugged.

Otto sighed. "We were lucky. The Grand Commander declared that we owe the Lord's protection for our timely discovery of the heretic attackers. Three days from now, we'll march to eliminate them once and for all."

Mike Bai's expression turned serious. "Who are these people? Why are they attacking us?"

Otto's face darkened, and he spoke gravely. "They are the Hassassins, a dangerous group of heretic assassins. They've killed without honor, but they're relentless. Twenty years ago, they assassinated the Count of Tripoli, but we defeated them. Now, they seek revenge for their fallen comrades."

"The Grand Commander also announced that three days from now, we'll launch a full-scale operation to destroy these heretics. I'll be heading out with the troops as well," Otto continued, his voice resolute.

Mike Bai grabbed Otto's hand. "Uncle, there are still some fireworks and other things in my estate's cellar. Take them with you. They might come in handy."

Otto smiled and patted Mike Bai's hand. "I will. Don't worry."

Suddenly, a weak groan came from Démore's bed. Mike Bai quickly turned to see Démore's trembling hand reaching out, trying to grab a nearby cup of water.

"Thank goodness, he's awake!" Mike Bai exclaimed, rushing forward to support Démore as Anna handed him the cup. Mike Bai gently helped him sip the water.

In the doorway, William and Patrick entered, and William shouted in joy, "I knew it! You're too stubborn to die!"

"Mike Bai, are you okay? Where are we?" Démore whispered weakly.

"I'm fine, Uncle Démore. I'm so glad you're awake," Mike Bai's voice cracked with emotion.

Behind him, Otto stood, his face softening as he spoke, "Démore, I can finally relax knowing you're awake."

Just then, the doctor entered, checking Démore's condition and smiling at Mike Bai. "He's doing much better. Just make sure he rests and takes his medicine."

"Thank you, Doctor. I really appreciate your help," Mike Bai said, pulling out ten gold coins and handing them to the doctor.

Seeing that Démore was out of danger, Otto smiled and gave Mike Bai a few more words of advice before he left.

"I'm fine! But Otto, please be careful when you head out. Don't lose your life out there," Démore said with a strained smile, gathering all his remaining strength.

As the sun blazed down on the town once more, the bustling streets filled with life. Amidst the crowd, Otto rode alone on horseback, his face like an unyielding glacier, his eyes filled with unspoken fury.

"Hassassins!" Otto muttered, his gaze smoldering with a murderous intent.