Faerun: The arcane mage is still too imprisoned.

Lance left the study and returned to the second-floor corridor. He needed a place to wait, to wait for the banquet to end, and to wait for the Baron to be alone.

He chose a small sitting room opposite the study, where a window offered a view of the staircase. Lance stood in the shadows by the window.

Time slowly passed.

The music downstairs gradually faded, and the guests' laughter and chatter thinned out. Servants began to tidy up the mess, the sound of carriages could be heard outside the door, and the guests departed one after another.

Finally, about two hours later, heavy footsteps came from the stairs.

Lance peered through the crack in the door.

Baron Yodl staggered up to the second floor. He was about fifty years old, obese, and had a flushed face, clearly having drunk a lot.

He was wearing a long silk robe embroidered with gold thread, but the lapel was stained with wine. He muttered something as he walked, and the smell of alcohol could be detected from a distance.

The baron walked to the study door and pushed it open to go inside.

Lance waited five minutes, giving the Baron enough time to lower his guard.

Then, I pushed open the door to the small living room and walked to the door of the study.

In the study, Baron Jodl was slumped in a high-backed chair behind his desk, a glass of wine in his hand. He had his eyes closed, seemingly savoring the "pleasure" of the evening.

Lance pushed the door open, then closed it behind him.

"Who?" The baron opened his eyes alertly.

When he saw Lance standing in the center of the study, he was first confused, then surprised, and finally his excitement turned into a kind of twisted excitement.

"Oh? A newcomer?" The baron grinned, revealing yellow teeth. "Who sent her? I don't recall... but she's quite good-looking, pointy ears, half-elf? Truly beautiful, an absolute gem!"

Lance didn't move, he just looked at him calmly.

The baron stood up and staggered over: "Can you talk? What's your name? Don't be afraid, as long as you behave, I'll take good care of you..."

He reached out, wanting to touch Lance's face.

Lance took a step back, avoiding the greasy hand.

"Oh, so you've got a temper." The baron wasn't bothered; in fact, he was even more excited. "I like them to have a bit of a temper; it makes training them more interesting..."

"Ugh... Ugh..." Lance suddenly reached out and grabbed his neck, making it impossible for him to breathe.

At the same time, she whispered in his ear, "I advise you not to shout, otherwise... you can try to see which comes first, death or the guards."

"Now, I'll loosen my grip and give you one minute to convince me not to kill you."

"Cough cough... cough cough..."

After Lance released his grip, Baron Yodl coughed twice, suddenly becoming agitated. The alcohol further clouded his already clouded judgment.

"You're probably here to uphold some bullshit 'justice,' aren't you?! Half-elves, human children, beautiful women... they're all commodities! I bought them with my money, they're my property! I can do whatever I want with them!"

"No, you have forty seconds left," Lance said calmly.

The baron finally realized something was wrong, and the alcohol instantly sobered him up. He took a step back, his voice trembling:

"Wait, we can talk... Are you an assassin? What's your price? I'll pay you double! No, triple! As long as you work for me, I can give you money, lots of money!"

"What time is it that you still expect me to serve you?!" Lance couldn't hold back and laughed in anger.

"Thirty seconds left."

"Wait, my money! I have money! Let me go!"

The Baron was already rambling incoherently.

"Money?" Lance tilted his head. "Your money is already mine."

"Besides the money in the study, have you hidden money anywhere else?"

"Um... I still have a dozen or so gold coins on me, and a few more in my bedroom..."

Lance listened quietly, then said, "Are you done? It seems you're of no further use to me."

"Waaah, please don't kill me! I know I was wrong, I'll definitely be a good person from now on..." The baron cried in fear.

"Don't worry." Lance walked up to him, looking down at him. "I won't kill you right away."

A glimmer of hope ignited in Yodl's eyes.

"Because that would be too cheap for you," Lance added.

Hope shattered, turning into deeper fear.

Lance bent down and picked up the candle next to him—the tip of the candle had melted, forming a thick layer of wax.

"I bet you like playing with candles, don't you?" Lance asked softly.

Yodl shook his head frantically, his face covered in snot and tears: "No, no! I was wrong! My lord! My lord mage! I'll never do it again! I swear! I'll donate money! I'll build an orphanage! I—"

Lance stuffed a candle into his mouth.

Hot wax dripped onto his tongue and into his throat, and Yodl let out a piercing, muffled scream as his body convulsed violently.

Lance let go, and the candle fell to the ground.

Yodl lay on the ground, gagging violently, trying to spit out the wax in his mouth, but most of it had already solidified and stuck in his mouth and esophagus.

"How are you feeling?" Lance asked.

Yodel was speechless, and could only glare at Lance with resentment.

"Hmm...it doesn't seem that interesting."

Lance raised his hand, his fingertips glowing with a ghastly green light.

The light at his fingertips condensed into a single point.

[Magic Blast!]

A ghastly green energy beam shot out, striking the Baron's heart with pinpoint accuracy.

The baron's mouth gaped open as he looked down at his chest; his heart had been crushed. A wave of excruciating pain washed over him, and his legs gave way, causing him to collapse to his knees.

"Uh...ah..." He tried to say something, but blood gushed from the corner of his mouth.

The baron's eyes gradually lost their light, and his body slumped forward, crashing heavily onto the carpet with a dull thud.

[Killed 1 level 0 humans! Gained 20 experience points!]

Current experience: 45/1000

The death has been confirmed.

Lance didn't linger; he turned and prepared to leave.

But just then, the study door was pushed open.

An elderly man with gray hair, dressed in a butler's uniform, stood in the doorway. He carried a tray with hangover medicine and a towel—clearly there to serve the Baron.

The old butler's gaze fell on Lance, then on the baron's corpse lying on the ground.

His pupils suddenly contracted.

There were no screams, no panic. The old butler almost instinctively stepped back, while simultaneously tugging at the bell at his waist with his free hand.

The shrill sound of a bell rang in the corridor.

Magical alarm—the bell at his waist is a magical item!

Although it only has one use—being particularly loud—it still cost five gold coins.

"Wow, we've been discovered..." Lance was eager to try.

Without hesitation, he unleashed [Magic Blast!] on the old butler.

After being hit, the old butler fell backward, and the tray in his hand flew out of his hand.

[Killed 1 level 0 humans! Gained 25 experience points!]

At the same time, a flurry of footsteps came from the end of the corridor—the guards had been alerted by the alarm.

Lance didn't rush towards the door; instead, he turned and rushed towards the window.

The study had a window facing the backyard. He rushed to the window, pushed it open, and saw the second floor below, about five meters high.

Without hesitation, Lance leaped out.

In mid-air, he adjusted his posture and rolled forward upon landing to absorb the impact. His 14-point physical condition meant he only felt a slight tremor in his knees.

But the alarm had already sounded throughout the entire mansion.

"Assassin! Assassin!"

"The Baron is in trouble!"

"Seal off all exits!"

Guards surged in from all directions. Lance had just stood up when he saw the back gate be pushed open, and a dozen guards in leather armor rushed in, with more following behind.

The head of the guards, a wiry middle-aged man wielding a longsword, immediately shouted upon seeing Lance, "There he is! Seize him!"

Several people surrounded them in a fan shape.

"In the end, I still have to unleash my Musou attack..."

A bloodthirsty glint flashed in Lance's eyes.

"Then—kill them all!"

[Consuming 30 experience points, you have learned the level 0 spell - Blade Burst!]

[Blade Burst]: You create a ring of briefly existing, translucent blades to clear the surrounding area. Every creature within 5 meters except yourself must successfully save with a Dexterity save or suffer 6 points of force field damage.