TDKAW 07

Chapter – 07

Holy Sh*t, A Hustler!

Where the hell did Rena go?!

A chill shot straight up Lynn’s spine!

He and Rena were in the same boat now. If Rena acted rashly and got caught, and the demons tortured her, she might very well give him up.

Lynn instinctively prepared for the worst-case scenario.

For a moment, he even felt that the people coming to arrest him were already on their way!

Should he run now?

Even if he couldn’t escape, it was better than sitting around waiting to die!

However, the next second, a dark shadow climbing in through the window proved Lynn was worrying over nothing.

“Rena?!” Lynn wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, stepped forward to close the window, and whispered harshly, “Where did you go?!”

Rena brushed the dust off her clothes. “I followed you and that damned goblin to the vicinity of the cave you went to.”

“Followed? Why were you following me?”

“I was afraid you’d sell me out,” Rena said bluntly. “With that fawning look on your face, you’re the very picture of a traitor to humanity. I couldn’t rest easy, so I followed you out. If you had told that goblin about me back there, I would have acted immediately.”

Lynn: “…”

“What fawning look? I was putting on an act. How else am I supposed to gain the demons’ trust if I don’t act loyal?”

They were both worried about the other stabbing them in the back, which was understandable.

“Since we’re in this together, I think we should trust each other a bit more,” Lynn suggested.

Rena remained silent.

Lynn knew a fair bit about Rena, but Rena knew nothing about Lynn.

“You want to build some basic trust, right? Then tell me, what did Alger take you to that cave for?”

There was no reason to hide it. Lynn told Rena that the cave held some young, strong prisoners who would now be his subordinates.

“Heh,” Rena sneered. “The demons really do value you highly.”

“Isn’t it better that they value me? Once my position and status in this dungeon are solidified, won’t that be more helpful for your mission? Anyway, I’m in the demon’s den, but my heart is with humanity.”

Ignoring Rena’s sarcasm, Lynn continued, “Tell me about your assassination plan. At least let me know the general idea so I can figure out how to cooperate.”

After a moment’s hesitation, Rena spoke: “There’s a considerable gap between my strength and Garron’s. So, I can only succeed by infiltrating his side and launching a surprise attack.”

“Then that’s a dead end. Garron always has 10 personal guards with him.”

“How do you know that?”

“Brother Jie—I mean, Alger told me. Garron usually picks 10 chieftains he trusts out of the 108 to form his personal guard, always at his side.”

“Oh? That works perfectly, doesn’t it? If you could become one of those 10 guards, wouldn’t I have my chance?”

“Ah, well—” Lynn paused.

Rena’s logic was refreshingly simple and crude.

“I’ve only been here a couple of days, and I’m human. Why would Garron make me a personal guard? Even Alger has only been selected once. For these demons, being a personal guard to Garron is a great honor—the competition is fierce.”

Lynn wasn’t unwilling to cooperate; he was just laying out the practical difficulties.

If this path didn’t work, they could try another…

As soon as he finished speaking, Rena again said, simply and brutally:

“Then increase your competitiveness and earn Garron’s trust.”

“Easy for you to say,” Lynn scoffed. “To get a leader’s attention, you have to produce results.”

“Then produce results!” Rena dropped another bombshell.

“Huh?! What do you mean?” Lynn asked in surprise.

“Plan in motion,” Rena thought of two points:

“First, overachieve in your main duties. You’re in charge of making and improving bows and arrows, so go all out and produce more.

Second, volunteer for extra work. Show off, rack up those achievements!”

Lynn was stunned speechless:

“Holy shit, a hustler!”

If Rena were born on Blue Star, she’d definitely be a top-tier hustler!

Come to think of it, in the Papal Court, was she already a hustler?

Otherwise, why would she—a newly appointed Saintess, not particularly powerful—dare to come assassinate one of the Four Heavenly Kings of the Demon King’s Army?

Was she betting it all, turning her bicycle into a motorcycle?!

Paving the way for a promotion and raise in the Papal Court with this assassination?

Lynn’s mind wandered aimlessly.

After all, there’s no such thing as a hustler without a reason.

Only people with clear goals become hustlers.

Rena had no idea what “hustler” meant. She tilted her head in confusion. “What are you talking about???”

“I mean…” Lynn couldn’t be bothered to explain. He wanted Rena to understand that becoming a hustler wasn’t easy:

“Whether it’s overachieving in your main job or scrambling to do other things to rack up achievements—easier said than done.”

“What’s so hard about it?” Rena dismissed Lynn’s words easily with a wave of her hand. “Aren’t you strong? And I’m not weak either. The two of us joining forces—are you afraid we can’t outperform those monsters?”

Lynn: “…”

What was with this damn career drive?!

After silently complaining, Lynn thought it over. With the help of a Saintess like Rena, there really might be a chance to boost their performance!

“It seems… possible?”

“Of course it’s possible,” Rena said confidently.

“If we’re really going to do this… we can give it a shot. But I have one question I have to ask you.”

“What question?”

“Given your current strength, assassinating Garron is genuinely risky, but you’re doing it without hesitation. Why are you so eager to advance? Did the Papal Court promise you something?”

“Telling you won’t hurt,” Rena replied. “My best friend died at the hands of that bastard Garron. I swear I will kill him!”

“Ah, so it’s revenge?” Lynn’s expression turned serious. “So this is a private mission? The Papal Court doesn’t know? That means… there are no reinforcements waiting outside?!”

“You’re quick on the uptake,” Rena smiled slightly. “You guessed right. If the assassination fails, I’ll die in this dungeon. If I succeed, I’ll still be punished when I return to the Papal Court. I’ll probably lose my Saintess title. But it doesn’t matter. Succeed, or perish.”

**[ ‘Seraph’ gives Rena’s words a thumbs up, hoping you’ll learn from Rena.]**

**[ ‘Pure Love Invincible’ gives Rena’s words a thumbs up, hoping you’ll learn from your wife.]**

Learn? I’ll aim even higher!

Realizing Rena was acting alone, Lynn felt the situation was even more dire.

He needed to find a way out…

“Since I’ve been so honest with you, shouldn’t you come clean about some things too?” Rena looked into Lynn’s eyes. “For instance, who exactly are you? What’s your purpose for infiltrating this place?”

Lynn couldn’t be honest. He evaded the question: “Don’t worry, I’m more reliable than you think.”

“I hope so.” Rena didn’t press further, but thought to herself:

So far, this man named Lynn, though mysterious, seemed to be on humanity’s side and could be used. Rena planned to stay vigilant while cooperating with Lynn. If Lynn showed any sign of betrayal, she could turn on him at any time.

The two, each with their own thoughts, more or less reached an agreement. Lynn yawned. “Alright, let’s go with that plan for now. Sleep.”

He lay down on the bed.

“You’re sleeping on the bed; where do I sleep?” Rena said displeased.

“On the bed too.”

“Huh?! You bastard—”

“Don’t rush to summon your sword,” Lynn explained. “Please remember, we’re ‘husband and wife’ now. Don’t let the demons notice anything wrong.”

Rena: “…”

Lynn made room for Rena to sleep on the inside.

“Aren’t you going to take off your armor? Sleeping in that light armor? Isn’t it uncomfortable?”

“Drop it! If you dare sneak a—while I’m asleep…” Rena’s face flushed involuntarily. “I’m warning you, if you lay a finger on me, I’ll chop your hand off!”

Lynn: “…”

“Tch, who’d want to.”

They each lay down.

The night was quiet.

“Hey, don’t take the whole blanket,” Lynn complained. “Aren’t you the Flame Saintess?”

“So what? There’s no fireplace here for me to light.”

“I’m cold too. If you take the blanket, what am I supposed to cover myself with?”

“Suck it up. It won’t freeze you to death.”

Lynn: “…”

He scooted inward and immediately felt something pressing against his back.

It felt like… a dagger?

Rena’s icy voice sounded:

“Don’t cross the line.”

Lynn: “…”

He’d have to make do tonight and get a wider blanket tomorrow.

“You’d better not cross the line either.”

“Huh?! What are you thinking? Me? Cross the line?!”

“Heh, who knows?”

After drawing their mutual boundaries, they fell silent.

Perhaps exhausted from being captured and the journey, Rena fell asleep first.

[ ‘Pure Love Invincible’ hopes you’ll just go for it. He’s willing to tip you 1000 points!]

[ ‘Entertainment till Death’ seconds that!]

Even if it were 10,000 points, Lynn wouldn’t dare.

Of course, if it were a million points… Lynn might consider taking the risk.

After all, if he really had a million points, why would he be afraid of Rena?

Before falling asleep, Lynn needed to allocate his 1,300 points to his attributes and skills.

If he wanted to get out alive, improving his own strength was the only way.