They Called Me Trash? Now I'll Hack Their World-Chapter 209: Viper

My skin crawled. I kept my eyes fixed straight ahead, but I opened my system interface in my peripheral vision, aiming it right at the rogue walking shoulder-to-shoulder with me.

[Target: Rolf]

[Analyzing...]

[ERROR: Target level exceeds user. Higher level required.]

My eyes widened.

Error?

My breath hitched.

If Rolf’s level exceeded my analytical threshold... Shit. Is he really that much more powerful than me?

I swallowed hard, keeping my expression perfectly blank as we walked.

Rolf suddenly leaned a little closer to me, his voice dropping to a casual, conversational whisper.

"So... you were just relieving yourself back there, right?"

The question wasn’t innocent.

It was a probe. He was checking to see exactly how much I had heard.

A spike of raw adrenaline shot through my system, but I ruthlessly clamped down on my emotions and offered him a tired, convincing nod.

"Yeah. Just needed a minute away from the blood."

"Ah. Right, right," Rolf chuckled softly.

Then, his foot caught on absolutely nothing.

"Whoa!" Rolf stumbled wildly, his entire body weight crashing directly into me.

I let out a sharp grunt, but as I caught his weight, a sudden, blinding flare of pain erupted just below my shoulder blade.

I winced violently, thrashing sideways and shoving him off me with a surge of panicked strength.

Then I reached behind my back, my fingers brushing my torn shirt. They came back wet with fresh blood. I looked down.

A wicked, slightly curved dagger was lying on the stone floor between us.

"Oh, gods, I am so sorry!" Rolf gasped, his hands flying to his mouth in exaggerated horror. He immediately dropped to a crouch to pick up the dropped dagger.

But as his face dipped into the shadows, I saw it. The sheepish mask melted away.

A cold, utterly terrifying grin stretched across his face for a fraction of a second... the smile of a predator watching its prey step into a trap.

By the time he stood back up, the nervous, apologetic look was perfectly back in place.

He quickly sheathed the dagger at his waist.

"I-I’m so clumsy," Rolf babbled, his hands shaking as he pulled a small glass vial and a clean cloth from his belt. He tipped a few drops of a clear liquid onto the fabric.

"Here, let me help you. This is an antiseptic. It’ll clean the cut."

Before I could step back, he lunged forward, pressing the damp cloth directly against the open wound on my back.

I hissed in pain.

[Warning: Lethal Neurotoxin Detected in bloodstream.]

[Passive Skill: Poison Resistance activated. Toxin neutralized.]

I ground my teeth together, suppressing the urge to draw Oathstorm right then and there.

He just tried to assassinate me. If I hadn’t had my passive resistance, I would be hitting the floor in cardiac arrest right now.

"Don’t worry," Rolf whispered, leaning in incredibly close to my ear. His voice carried a chilling, double meaning.

"I promise it’ll be over soon. I really am sorry, Jin. I’m just very... clumsy with my movements."

"It’s fine," I said, my voice deadpan and shoved his hand away, taking a deliberate step back to put distance between us.

"I’m fine. Let’s just head back."

Rolf let out a massive, exaggerated sigh of relief, wiping fake sweat from his brow. "Oh, thank goodness. Thanks for forgiving me. You’re a lifesaver, Jin."

We walked the rest of the way in suffocating silence.

As we stepped back into the glow of the group’s fire orbs, Rolf immediately launched into a barrage of apologies for taking so long.

Though Yenna didn’t buy the act.

She stepped up, aggressively poking a finger into the center of his forehead.

"Honestly, Rolf! Sometimes I think I’m dealing with a clingy toddler who lost his mother’s skirt, rather than our party’s rogue. Pull it together!"

Rolf giggled nervously, rubbing his forehead and scratching the back of his neck. "Ah, sorry, Yenna. It was dark! I got a little turned around."

Sitting on a boulder nearby, Tessa couldn’t help but giggle at his pathetic display.

"You really do look like a lost puppy right now, Rolf."

Rolf immediately turned his sheepish charm on her, offering a bright, self-deprecating smile.

"Well, if I’m a puppy, it’s only because I’m blinded by how bravely you handled yourself back there, Lady Tessa. That was truly impressive."

Tessa laughed at the compliment. "Damn... who knew you would be such a flirt?"

Rolf just smiled, rubbing his cheek. "I’m just being honest though."

I watched the entire exchange with a deeply sour expression, my jaw clamped tight. The man was a sociopath.

A flawless, terrifyingly strong sociopath.

Rolf caught my glare. He smiled cheerfully at me, clapping his hands together. "Well! Let’s go, Jin! We should be moving, right?" 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

I just clicked my tongue in disgust, walking past him to rejoin the group. "Yeah. Let’s go."

Garf hoisted his massive shield, and Edric took the lead once again.

We fell back into formation, but the dynamic had completely shifted.

Rolf eagerly trotted up to the front, chatting and smiling with Yenna. Tessa walked near the middle, laughing at a joke Garf made, with Mira chiming in.

I stayed completely at the rear, my eyes locked on the back of Rolf’s neck.

Scarlet seamlessly dropped back, falling into step beside me. Her beast instincts were sharp; she could smell the tension radiating off me.

She glanced at the group ahead, then looked at me, her green eyes narrowing in concern.

"Is there something wrong?" she whispered, her voice barely carrying over the sound of our footsteps.

I looked at her. I couldn’t blow his cover yet... not when I have any evidence on him and him standing right next to Tessa and Yenna.

If I started a fight now, he would slaughter half the party before Edric could even draw his sword.

I shook my head slowly. "No. Everything’s fine."

And walked forward, my hand resting heavily on the hilt of Oathstorm.

"But..." I muttered, keeping my voice so low only Scarlet’s fox ears could catch it.

"Always watch your back, Scarlet. The deadliest vipers are always the ones painted to look completely harmless."