I Want to Die, But I Am Immortal-Chapter 43: Calculated Distraction

Sophia stared at Adam, her eyes wide with a mixture of fear and confusion. He looked back at her for a fraction of a second, a silent acknowledgment passing between them.

Then, he turned and closed the bedroom door, leaving her and her family locked inside. He took the small paring knife from his waistband.

This time, he did not descend the stairs. He returned to his previous hiding spot on the landing, crouching behind the low wall that overlooked the staircase.

He closed his eyes again, focusing his enhanced senses, trying to pinpoint the assassins’ locations. This time, their movements were even quieter than before. He could hear almost nothing.

But he could feel a faint vibration through the floorboards, a subtle pressure in the air. They were directly below him, at the bottom of the stairs.

He took a deep breath. He knew this loop would not be as straightforward as the last. They had been surprised once. They would not be so careless again.

He waited. He knew he had to distract them, to create an opening. He had to force them to separate, to break their formation. He needed to finish this loop quickly and without any further casualties. The weight of that responsibility was a heavy burden.

He remained in his crouched position for several minutes, his mind racing through countless scenarios. Finally, he heard it. The faint creak of a single footstep on the bottom stair. They had decided to make their move. They were coming up.

He didn’t know if they would all come up the stairs together. He didn’t know if one of them was already trying to enter Anastasia’s room from the outside. But he had one assurance. They couldn’t get into Sophia’s room through the window. The house next door was too close. There was no other way up.

He heard another faint creak. They were ascending slowly, cautiously. He took a deep breath. He looked at the small paring knife in his left hand. He decided to use it as a distraction. He pulled his arm back and then, with a flick of his wrist, he threw the knife down the hallway towards Anastasia’s room.

The knife sailed through the air and struck a small flowerpot sitting on a table next to her door. The pot shattered on the floor, its pieces scattering across the wooden planks. The sound, though not loud, was sharp and distinct in the otherwise silent house.

He knew the assassins on the stairs would have heard it. He knew they would think he was trying to escape through the back of the house. He was right. He heard a whispered command from below, followed by the sound of one set of footsteps moving quickly away, towards the back door. The lead assassin had sent one of his men to investigate.

The remaining two assassins now believed their target was cornered and trying to flee. They abandoned their cautious approach. They began to ascend the stairs more quickly. They did not know that Adam had a gun. They did not know that their surprise attack was no longer a surprise. They still believed they were the hunters and he was the prey. They still believed they had the advantage.

The lead assassin was still watching his back this time. He was not as careless as he had been in the previous loop. But Adam was prepared. The moment the second assassin’s head appeared over the top of the stairs, Adam fired.

He didn’t aim for the head. He didn’t aim for the chest. He fired three rounds in quick succession. Two of the bullets struck the second assassin in the face, killing him instantly. His body crumpled to the stairs. The third bullet struck the lead assassin in the shoulder.

The man grunted in pain, but he didn’t go down. He spun around, his own pistol raised, ready to fire. But his eyes widened in shock. The spot where the shots had come from was empty. Adam was gone.

He looked up. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

Adam had used the walls of the narrow staircase as a makeshift climbing wall. He had jumped from one wall to the other in a zigzag pattern, launching himself upwards. He was now several feet above the assassin, clinging to the ceiling like a spider.

He dropped down from above. He landed silently behind the lead assassin. He brought his own pistol up and pressed it against the back of the man’s head. He pulled the trigger. The silenced pistol made a soft spitting sound. The second assassin collapsed to the floor, his body joining his partner’s.

Two down. One to go.

Adam moved quickly. He hid behind the small shelf in the hallway, just as he had before. He waited. A few seconds later, the third assassin came running back into the house. He saw his two partners lying dead on the stairs. He was shocked. He spun around, looking down the long corridor, expecting his target to be waiting for him there.

That was his biggest mistake.

Adam stepped out from behind the shelf. He fired two more shots. The first struck the assassin in the chest. It was stopped by his body armor. The second struck him in the face. He didn’t die instantly, but the wound was severe. He dropped his pistol and collapsed to the floor, his body twitching in agony.

The sound of the struggle, the muffled pops of the silenced pistol, had been audible from behind Sophia’s locked door. She couldn’t take it anymore. Her mother and sister were bombarding her with frantic questions. She had to know what was happening. She turned the lock and opened the door.

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A massive thank you to every single one of you for joining the adventure! Your support means the world. If you’re enjoying the story, your Power Stones are like mana potions that keep me writing, so thank you for every single one!

Now, for a bit of fun! I want YOU to be a part of this world. Our hero is about to name their new signature technique. What should it be called?

Drop your most creative ideas in the comments! I’ll pick my favorite, and it will become canon in the story, with a special shout-out to you.

Can’t wait to read your brilliant suggestions!

Alphaboss

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