Chapter 373 — The Author, the Jinn, and the Restaurant
Mister Mind crossed his arms.
— "But you have nothing to fear for now, as long as I'm here."
He spoke calmly, almost like a professor.
— "I can cut spiritual bonds.
— Sever demonic pacts.
— Break magical contracts.
— Separate master and familiar.
— Remove the anchoring of a soul in a body.
— An invoker loses his creature.
— A possessed is separated from his demon."
Silence.
Brakk looked at him… then a slow smile spread across his face.
— "These assassins are too competent…
— Is the author on my side?"
Haya raised an eyebrow.
— "I always see you doing that."
— "Doing what?"
— "Coming up with a plan that looks great in theory…"
She sighed.
— "But in practice all your plans flop. It's a statistical absurdity."
Brakk turned to her.
— "Stop talking nonsense!"
— "How so?"
— "It's not because the author isn't on my side—"
An imaginary voice seemed to echo.
The Narrator:
— "He's lying. The author tries to make him look cool, but he just makes everyone laugh."
Brakk looked around.
— "Shut up, you!"
— "If the author really wanted to help me, I wouldn't have so many restrictions!"
Mister Mind replied calmly:
— "What do you want? For the jinn Zahkariel to hand you overpowered abilities so you reach your goal in two chapters? That would be narrative laziness."
Bloodweaver nodded.
— "Always choose the hardest path."
Brakk smiled.
— "No matter the path."
He tapped his temple.
— "I'll triumph."
Haya suddenly opened a new rift.
— "Alright.
— Let's discuss the plan over a delicious meal."
Brakk blinked.
— "…You want to strategize against a demonic jinn… at a restaurant?"
— "The best strategies are made while eating," she answered.
Bloodweaver agreed.
— "True, it wouldn't hurt."
---
**A few seconds later**
They entered a restaurant.
Waiter:
— "Welcome… did you reserve?"
Haya:
— "Yes. Table for four."
— "Name?"
— "Team traumatized by an ancient demon."
The waiter hesitated.
— "…I'll check."
---
**Meanwhile — In the shadows**
Zahkariel watched.
Beside him stood a being with white hair and two horns: the Frost Dragon.
— "What do you see in him?" asked the dragon.
Zahkariel smiled.
— "I find him fascinating.
— No matter how he struggles… he'll end up in my hands."
The dragon scratched his head.
— "If you say so…
— Personally, I'd have picked someone simpler.
— Like a farmer.
— Or a baker."
Zahkariel sighed.
— "Where's the prestige in that?"
— "Bread is very prestigious," replied the dragon.
---
**Meanwhile — With the hunters**
Valor crossed his arms.
— "Why didn't we try to chase those assassins?"
Nova answered:
— "Because it wasn't worth it.
— They retreated."
Lya clenched her fists.
— "They pissed me off…
— They chose the wrong side… and they're angry at me."
Ryn spoke softly:
— "You shouldn't act like that with people you grew up with."
Lya answered sharply:
— "You don't realize how dangerous they are.
— They have no moral standards."
Valor chuckled.
— "More dangerous than the great Valor?
— Nonsense."
Nova looked at him.
— "You think life revolves around you too much."
— "That's because it often does."
— "No.
— It's because you talk too loud."
Ryn sighed.
— "Are we really supposed to save the world with this team…"
Lya looked into the distance.
— "Yes.
— And the worst part… is that it works."
Chapter 374 — Strategies, Hot Sauce, and Dubious Ideas
Mister Mind, Haya, Bloodweaver, and Brakk sat around a round table in a restaurant surprisingly chic for an assassins' meeting.
The waiter arrived with his notepad.
— "Have you chosen?"
**Mister Mind:**
— "Smoked beef fillet, black wine reduction, truffle purée.
— And dark tea."
**Haya:**
— "Grilled chicken with volcanic spices, black rice, hot sauce.
— And something very strong to drink."
**Bloodweaver:**
— "Bloody stew with medicinal herbs, black bread, toxic‑compatible infusion."
The waiter hesitated.
— "…Toxic‑compatible?"
— "For me," clarified Bloodweaver.
— "Of course… sir."
**Brakk:**
— "Double steak, roasted apples, barbecue sauce.
— And a sweet drink."
Haya stared at him.
— "Are you five?"
— "No. But I want to survive this meal."
---
The waiter set down an elegant tray:
- Mini smoked‑cheese tartlets with black honey
- Salmon bites marinated in lemon and herbs
- Crispy croquettes stuffed with mushroom and cream
- Small skewers of spiced meat glazed with a shining sauce
Brakk grabbed one immediately.
— "If we die today, at least I'll have eaten well."
Mister Mind eyed the skewer.
— "If you die today, it probably won't be because of the food."
---
Haya chewed calmly.
— "Alright. Recap.
— A demonic jinn wants your body.
— Hunters are following us.
— And we still don't have a stable plan."
Brakk sighed.
— "I had a simple plan at first.
— Intimidate Llan.
— Separate him from his allies.
— Done."
Bloodweaver nodded.
— "Yes, and now we're dealing with an ancient demon, a dimensional breach, and your decisions."
— "Thanks for the moral support."
Mister Mind added calmly:
— "Zahkariel doesn't just want to possess you.
— He wants to use you as a permanent anchor in this world."
Brakk frowned.
— "So if I mess up… he settles in permanently?"
— "Exactly."
Haya finished her appetizer.
— "Great. Eat fast. We'll need to think."
---
The waiter placed the main dishes.
— "Enjoy."
The smell was incredible.
Everyone started eating.
Three seconds later…
**BAM.**
Brakk slammed the table.
— "IT'S TIME TO TALK ABOUT A PLAN."
The waiter jumped at the back of the room.
---
Brakk wiped his mouth and spoke seriously.
— "Here's what we do.
Mister Mind cuts the spiritual threads Zahkariel has already woven into me.
Meanwhile, Bloodweaver creates a zone of biological instability to disrupt the jinn's materialization.
Haya opens a controlled micro‑rift.
We lure Zahkariel into that rift, where he'll be partially manifested.
Then I copy his aura with my unstable power.
At the exact moment his essence is divided…
Mister Mind inverts the links.
Result: Zahkariel is trapped in his own energy signature."
Brakk crossed his arms.
— "We don't destroy him.
— We make him dependent on me.
— And this time he's the prisoner."
Silence.
Bloodweaver slowly set down his spoon.
— "I disagree."
Brakk sighed.
— "Of course."
— "Your plan assumes your body can handle copying the aura of an ancient jinn.
— Statistically, you explode.
— Spiritually, you fragment.
— Mentally, you become a haunted teapot."
— "…A teapot?"
— "It's an image."
He continued:
— "And if the copy fails, Zahkariel gets exactly what he wants: a stabilized host."
Brakk grimaced.
— "Well… put like that…"
---
Mister Mind set down his cutlery.
— "Your reasoning is interesting.
But I propose something else.
We let Zahkariel attempt possession.
I prepare a mental cage before he enters.
Haya locks the zone with a very localized time stop.
Bloodweaver injects a parasitic biological signature into your energy flow.
When Zahkariel anchors…
I cut the link between his essence and his true plane of existence.
Result: he's stuck in your mind… but powerless."
— "In other words," said Brakk, "I host an ancient demon as a roommate."
— "Exactly."
— "Fantastic."
---
Haya raised her hand.
Everyone looked at her.
— "I have an idea.
We dive into the rift.
We hit Zahkariel.
If he's too strong, Brakk is bait.
And if it doesn't work…
We improvise."
Silence.
Brakk stared at her slowly.
— "You… are going to kill me."
— "But it's simple."
— "That's not a plan. That's collective suicide."
— "But effective."
— "NO."
---
Brakk stood up.
— "Alright. We keep the base of Mister Mind's plan.
BUT:
We simulate weakness to push Zahkariel to attack sooner.
Bloodweaver prepares a false vital flow for him to anchor to first.
Mister Mind doesn't cut the link immediately: he diverts it.
Haya creates a dimensional escape route in case I start melting mentally.
And most importantly… we choose the terrain.
We force him to come to a place he thinks is his advantage…
but is already trapped."
Mister Mind nodded slowly.
— "…That could work."
Bloodweaver approved.
— "That's more stable."
Haya finished her plate.
— "Okay. But if it explodes…
— I'll say it was your plan."
Brakk sighed.
— "It already was my plan."
Chapter 375 — The Bill, the Damage… and Very Bad Decisions
They finished eating.
Brakk leaned back in his chair with a satisfied sigh.
— "Aaaah… that was good."
He patted his stomach.
— "Alright. Now that we've eaten… it's time to put the plan into action."
Haya stretched.
— "I like strategic meetings with food."
Bloodweaver nodded.
— "Makes the discussions more… digestible."
Mister Mind said nothing, simply staring into the bottom of his cup.
---
**Meanwhile — elsewhere**
The Frost Dragon watched Zahkariel.
— "Is it me, or do they really think you're a lightweight?"
Zahkariel let out a deep laugh.
— "Let them.
— I'll savor reducing their illusions to nothing."
The dragon sighed.
— "Seriously… everyone in this world is insane."
---
**Back at the restaurant**
The waiter returned to their table with a professional smile.
— "I hope everything went well? Did you enjoy the meal?"
Haya answered immediately:
— "Honestly? Exquisite.
— A pure delight."
She gestured to the others.
— "My companions loved it."
They all nodded.
Even Brakk.
— "Yeah, really great."
The waiter smiled even more.
— "Perfect. Then I'll bring you the bill."
…
Silence.
…
Brakk felt a bad premonition.
He slowly turned his head toward Mister Mind.
— "…Don't do anything."
Mister Mind raised a finger.
— "Mental drowning."
— "NO—"
---
**One second later**
The entire restaurant, except the four of them, froze.
Customers, staff…
Their eyes went blank.
Inside their minds:
memories flashing
fears surfacing
unknown battlefields screaming
thousands of scenarios overlapping
voices, cries, fragments of foreign lives
Brakk stood slack‑jawed.
— "…Why am I with these lunatics."
He looked around.
— "Seriously.
— These people didn't ask for this.
— They just wanted to eat soup in peace."
He turned to Mister Mind.
— "WHY did you do that?!"
Mister Mind answered calmly:
— "Even if the food was delicious…
— I didn't feel like paying."
Haya nodded.
— "Honestly, have you ever seen assassins pay at a restaurant?"
Bloodweaver confirmed.
— "Never.
— It's against our profession."
Brakk stared at them.
— "I knew you weren't normal…
— but this is too much 😂"
Mister Mind tapped his temple.
— "How so?
— It's the best way not to pay."
Bloodweaver added:
— "And anyway, we never pay."
Brakk raised his hands.
— "BUT WHAT IF YOU WANT TO COME BACK HERE ONE DAY?!"
Silence.
They looked at each other.
Haya simply answered:
— "We'll change cities."
Brakk buried his face in his hands.
— "I understand why Lya left you.
— Seriously, I get it."
He pointed at the frozen people.
— "They didn't ask for this!
— You could've just erased the waiter's memory instead of flooding everyone's brains with thousands of images in one second!"
Mister Mind smiled softly.
— "And who said that was my goal?"
He raised his hand.
A dark flow swept through the room.
Bodies collapsed slowly.
Vital energy absorbed.
Souls vanished.
Brakk froze.
— "…Ah.
— …Okay.
— …So you just killed everyone."
Mister Mind closed his hand.
— "Avoids witnesses."
He turned to Bloodweaver.
— "Want to absorb their blood?"
Bloodweaver shook his head.
— "No.
— Too cold now."
Brakk looked at the silent room.
— "…These poor people didn't ask for this."
He sighed.
— "And now there'll be a huge scandal."
Haya shrugged.
— "Don't worry.
— It's not that important."
Brakk glared at her.
— "I'm not talking about importance.
— I'm talking about the fact that the hunters will never leave us alone now."
He pointed at Mister Mind.
— "All because of you."
Mister Mind tilted his head slightly.
— "Technically…
— it's because of the bill."
Brakk sighed deeply.
— "I'm trying to fight an ancient jinn…
— and I'm surrounded by criminals who declare war on the world to avoid paying for steak."
Haya smiled.
— "You picked the right team."
Bloodweaver added:
— "At least we're effective."
Brakk stood up.
— "Yeah.
— Effective at causing chaos."
He inhaled deeply.
— "Alright. Now that we're officially wanted for massacre…
— let's go."
Mister Mind opened a rift.
— "After you, boss."
Brakk stepped in first.
— "If I survive Zahkariel…
— I'll force you to open a restaurant and pay your suppliers for the rest of your lives."
Haya burst out laughing.
— "Now *that's* a real threat."
Chapter 376 — Bad Grade, Worse Discovery
Souls swirled around Mister Mind's hand.
They formed a dense, vibrating sphere, like a small dark sun filled with whispers.
Brakk grimaced.
— …You really plan to swallow that?
Mister Mind replied calmly:
— Of course.
He opened his mouth…
and swallowed the sphere.
Silence.
His shoulders trembled slightly.
— Hmm…
He closed his eyes.
— Yes. I can feel my power increasing.
He took a deep breath.
— Well. I think we've eaten well.
— It's time to leave and put our plan into action.
Brakk looked around.
The lifeless bodies.
The overturned tables.
The heavy silence.
— Honestly…
He ran a hand through his hair.
— I can't even imagine what they went through.
— Mental overload… then you ripped their souls out just like that.
He fixed his gaze on Mister Mind.
— Such cruelty.
— Do you really have no heart?
Haya shrugged.
— You know assassins like us don't have feelings.
Brakk twirled his finger around his temple.
— Yeah, I noticed.
— I just hoped it was a joke.
Haya opened a portal.
— Well. People are coming.
— We'd better leave.
Bloodweaver frowned.
— One of them gives off a powerful presence.
Mister Mind tilted his head slightly.
— In that case, we should eliminate them too.
Brakk raised his hands.
— NO.
— We already destroyed an entire restaurant over a bill.
— We're not starting a bonus massacre.
He pointed at the portal.
— We leave.
They vanished into the rift.
---
**A few minutes later**
Four hunters arrived at the restaurant.
They were still talking as they walked.
— Seriously, said Delta, tank rank B, these labyrinth weapons are incredible.
— Maybe we should keep them.
Xander, ice mage rank B, raised his grimoire.
— Honestly… this book is worth a fortune.
— But it's also super useful.
— I can summon a blizzard with a single page.
Valentine, light archer and healer rank A, nodded.
— My arrows doubled in power with this artifact.
— If we sell them, I'll cry.
The group's leader, Evans, walked ahead.
Officially a rank A swordsman…
but secretly a rank S lightning mage.
The guild listed him as A because he registered as a swordsman.
But in practice…
he was called the King of Lightning.
Or the God of Thunder.
Evans sighed.
— Keep them.
— A useful artifact is worth more than gold.
Then he entered the restaurant.
…
His smile vanished.
…
Silence.
Valentine covered her mouth.
— …What… what happened to them?
Delta looked at the bodies.
— Their eyes…
— It looks like their souls were removed.
Valentine shook her head.
— No…
— If it were a classic soul extraction, they would have screamed… resisted… moved.
She trembled.
— Here… it looks like they were frozen…
— then emptied.
Evans clenched his teeth.
— Such cruelty…
— They hadn't asked for this.
Xander looked around.
— Who could do something like this?
Valentine knelt beside a body.
Tears streamed down her face.
— I'll try a large-scale resurrection.
She raised her hand.
Evans gently caught it.
— No.
She trembled.
— But—
— Don't waste your mana.
His voice was soft, but firm.
— Even if you resurrect them…
— they won't be themselves anymore.
He looked at the bodies.
— Their souls are gone.
Valentine lowered her head.
Evans gently wiped her tears.
— We can't do anything for them.
He stood up.
— We'll report this to the guild.
Delta muttered:
— Yeah… and I feel like we're in for a nightmare mission.
Xander sighed.
— I bet it'll end with "track down the culprits."
Valentine sniffled.
— Of course it will…
Evans placed his hand on his sword's hilt.
— Whoever did this…
— we'll find them.
Then he added:
— And if they're still around…
— they'll regret not paying the bill.