CHAPTER 158: ASSASSINATION SCHEME (3)

"Argh!"

The woman groaned in pain as Nolan’s hand tightened around her neck.

She struggled to break free, but no matter how hard she tried, it was useless.

Damn it! I fell for him! She cursed inwardly.

Her eyes locked onto Nolan’s cold expression—a stark contrast to the shy, frightened look he had shown before.

Gritting her teeth, she snapped her fingers, and ten red and blue magic circles instantly formed in the air.

But unlike before, Nolan showed no fear. Instead, he gave a faint, dismissive smile.

As fireballs and water balls shot out from the circles, Nolan calmly raised his left hand and murmured, "Destroy."

Crack!

Like shattering glass, the magic halted and then splintered apart. Within seconds, everything exploded and vanished without a trace.

The woman’s eyes widened in shock. Her heart pounded as she whispered hoarsely, "How—"

Before she could finish, Nolan slammed her to the ground with brutal force.

Bang!

The impact fractured the earth beneath them, the crack spreading two meters wide.

Pain shot through her body. She felt her bones crack, and the muscles in her arms, back, and hips tear apart.

Her face turned pale as blood trickled from her nose and ears.

But Nolan showed no mercy. His expression remained cold and emotionless.

"How dare you threaten me... and tell me to kill my sister?" he said flatly. "After killing so many people, you really think you’re untouchable, don’t you?"

His grip tightened further. The woman’s vision began to blur.

Of course, Nolan had no intention of killing her just yet.

After all, the woman was still useful—and there was plenty of information he could extract from her.

Seeing the woman reach her limit, he let go, allowing her to gasp for air as consciousness returned.

Nolan crouched down and pressed specific points on her neck, both sides of her upper chest, and her abdomen. In an instant, her mana flow was completely sealed.

The woman’s eyes widened in shock. She tried to sense her mana—but there was nothing. It had completely vanished from her body.

"What did you do to me?" She asked, her voice trembling with fear.

"I sealed the mana points in your body," Nolan replied flatly. "You won’t be able to use magic—unless I decide to undo it."

"You—" She gritted her teeth, rage rising in her chest—but she didn’t dare act.

All her power had been sealed. Now, she was no stronger than an ordinary woman.

What unsettled her even more was the truth staring her in the face: Nolan—the prince she had assumed was weak and helpless—was not only strong but dangerously so.

He had completely deceived her, pretending to be a powerless prince while hiding his true strength.

Had he been concealing his power from the entire Imperial family all along?

The realization made her body tremble, a cold shiver creeping down her spine to her toes.

Challenging someone like him was no different than digging her own grave—and she had been the fool holding the shovel.

"Alright," Nolan said coldly, crossing his arms over his chest. "Now answer my question."

"Tell me everything you know about the Blood Moon Organization—especially the one bold enough to plot my sister’s murder."

But the woman remained silent, her lips tightly sealed. It was enough to wear down Nolan’s patience.

Without a word, he opened his right palm and delivered a hard slap across her face.

Plak!

The blow sent her head snapping to the side, and the mask covering her face fell off.

In an instant, her true appearance was revealed to Nolan.

Her skin was pale and flawless, soft as porcelain. She might not match the beauty of Rafine, Evalyn, or Elina, but she was still captivating enough to draw any man’s gaze.

But now, her beauty was marred—her left cheek was reddened, bearing the imprint of his hand.

"Don’t test my patience again," Nolan said coldly. "Keep being stubborn, and it won’t just be your face that gets ruined—it’ll be your life."

The woman shuddered in fear. There was no doubt in her mind—he meant every word.

"Fine. I’ll talk," she said through clenched teeth. "But you have to promise not to kill me."

Nolan was silent for a moment, then gave a small nod.

"Okay. I promise."

"I don’t trust you," the woman replied sharply.

She’d already fallen for his lies once. There was no way she’d make the same mistake again.

Nolan’s expression darkened. He crouched down and grabbed her chin between his thumb and forefinger.

"You’re in no position to negotiate," he said coldly. "So don’t push me."

The woman gritted her teeth, then slowly reached into her pocket and pulled out a black ring, offering it to Nolan.

"Use this and swear a loud oath. Otherwise, I’d rather die than speak," she snapped stubbornly.

This was her gamble. She knew Nolan wouldn’t keep his word—he would definitely deceive her.

But with this ring, he wouldn’t dare. It was a rare and powerful artifact, one that punished oath-breakers with death.

Of course, such an item was incredibly rare and expensive. But right now, she had no other choice.

Without it, she truly wouldn’t make it out alive.

Nolan narrowed his eyes but didn’t refuse. He took the ring and slipped it onto the ring finger of his right hand.

Then, raising his hand high, he declared, "If she tells me everything, I will not kill her."

As the words left his mouth, the black ring lit up with a bright, eerie glow.

A second later, sharp thorns burst from inside the band, piercing into his finger.

Blood welled up instantly, dripping down his hand.

"Are you satisfied now?" he asked calmly.

The woman let out a soft sigh of relief and gave a slow nod.

"Alright. I’ll tell you about my organization."

She then began explaining everything—about herself, her role, and the secrets of the Blood Moon Organization.

Nolan listened without a word, his gaze flat and devoid of emotion.

After twenty minutes, the woman’s voice began to falter, growing faint as she reached the end of her story.

"That’s all I know," she murmured. "Anything beyond that... I truly don’t."

To her surprise, Nolan gave a casual nod.

"I believe you," he said calmly.

Her eyes widened in disbelief—but relief soon flooded her heart.

I’m safe... finally.

She exhaled softly, the tension melting from her shoulders.

Of course, she had no intention of staying quiet. She would report everything to headquarters and warn them about Nolan.

But more than anything, she wanted revenge. She would craft the perfect plan—one that would leave Nolan broken, terrified, and begging for mercy.

Just imagining the pain and fear on his face lifted her spirits. A faint, satisfied smile curved her lips.

But then—

Slash!

The world spun around her, and in the next moment, her face slammed into the grassy ground.

When she looked ahead, she froze—her own body lay motionless on the ground... without a head.

"Eh? What... just happened?"