Hitman with a Badass System

The two brothers found themselves utterly bewildered and perplexed by Michael's cryptic words. Meanwhile, Michael led them away from Lady Griffy's cabin, stopping behind a tree strategically positioned to grant them a view of the house while also shielding them from the halfling's outbursts.

"You've lost your mind, he's definitely a halfling," protested Hal, his impatience making his voice tense.

Veer, however, furrowed his brow, looking at Michael with a mixture of curiosity and uncertainty.

"We know him. His name is Poppy, the assistant of that old woman," Veer explained.

"If I'm wrong, which rarely happens, I'll apologize to the halfling. But if I'm right, knocking on the old woman's door might not be a great idea," Michael warned, his voice laced with a sense of caution.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Hal retorted, but his words ceased abruptly when Michael conjured emerald green flames.

The sight of the dancing green flames above Michael's hands left Veer and Hal wide-eyed in astonishment.

"You're an alchemist," Veer exclaimed as realization dawned on him.

However, instead of elaborating, Michael swiftly summoned a collection of ingredients into his other hand and cast them into the flames. With another gesture, he produced a vial containing crimson red blood.

"This is pure halfling blood," Michael revealed, eliciting shock from the two brothers. Their gazes remained fixed on Michael, their expressions unflinching.

"What I'm creating is a potion that will confirm whether we encountered a real halfling or not," Michael explained as the essence of the alchemical components he'd added formed into floating beads above the flames. Gradually, these beads merged, resulting in a light green potion.

"A drop of this potion will turn pure halfling blood blue," Michael informed them, his focus on the liquid suspended above the flames. Upon his command, a single drop descended into the vial of halfling blood in his other hand.

True to Michael's assertion, the blood instantaneously changed to blue. Thanks to his subordinates, he possessed blood samples from every race, from humans to orcs. He had never anticipated that having halfling blood would be useful, but he trusted Vedora's instincts and Sarba's sense of an ancient evil presence around the halfling they had encountered.

"Now, let's test Poppy's blood," Michael announced, his gaze shifting to Vedora perched on his shoulder.

The two brothers couldn't help but notice the three-headed snake. One of the snake's heads, the one that had bitten Poppy, opened its mouth to reveal its fangs. To the astonishment of Hal and Veer, blood dripped down, falling into an empty vial suspended in the air.

"It's time for the truth," Michael declared, his tone resolute as he placed a drop of the green liquid into Poppy's blood. Veer and Hal stared at the vial, their attention unwavering.

Their astonishment reached new heights when the blood transformed into a putrid black liquid.

"What does this mean?" Veer murmured, the overwhelming mix of shock, confusion, and disbelief clouding his thoughts.

"Well, it seems that whatever Poppy is, he most certainly isn't a halfling," Michael stated matter-of-factly.

"This is all…" Veer began to say, only to be cut off by Michael's intervention.

"Deep down, both of you suspected something was off about the old woman, didn't you? This might be your only chance to uncover her true nature and save your cousin," Michael stated, his voice adopting a serious undertone.

Caught in the grip of shock, Hal finally managed to find his words, his disbelief evident. "Who are you really?" he asked, struggling to reconcile the image of the seemingly ordinary young man they'd encountered moments ago with the alchemist standing before them.

"Not going to lie but I'm the one who can help you find your cousin," Michael replied candidly.

Still reeling from the revelation, the two brothers attempted to absorb the information. Veer took a deep breath and ventured to ask, "So what do you think Poppy is?"

Michael's response carried a hint of uncertainty. "Something we haven't encountered before."

Just as Veer observed the three-headed snake nuzzling at John's ear again, Hal interjected with skepticism, "Tell me that three-headed snake didn't just talk to you."

Michael's laughter broke through the tension, easing the atmosphere around them. "They're special, yes. But let me ask you something—how long did it take to transform the misty swamps into this beautiful valley?"

"About four months," Veer confirmed, recalling the timeline.

"Do you really think that such a dramatic transformation could occur in such a short span of time without the use of magic?" Michael inquired. Surprising even themselves, the two brothers had posed the same question to their village elder. However, their inquiries were met with stern warnings from the villagers, who fervently supported Griffy, the woman responsible for the valley's enchanting change.

"We asked that same question. But the villagers yelled at us, and even Carmella, she started to act oddly after being around the old woman," Hal explained.

"How strangely?" Michael inquired, his commanding aura and demeanor causing the brothers to find solace and trust in him, leading them to open up more freely.

"Sneaking out in the middle of the night, speaking about her deceased brother during her sleep. Even sleepwalking, though she claimed not to remember any of it," Veer shared, the weight of concern evident in his voice.

"Have either of you attempted to follow her during the night?" Michael inquired, his curiosity piqued by the unfolding mystery.

"We tried, but she always managed to slip away from us. But there's one thing we're certain of—she frequently visits Griffy during daylight hours," Hal explained.

"So, all leads point to Griffy, and she has a helper posing as a halfling," Michael mused, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

"Let's take a closer look at her residence," Michael suggested.

"But you just led us away from there," Hal protested, but his objection was swiftly met with the sight of Michael summoning drones with a mere flick of his wrist.

"What are these?" Veer and Hal gazed upward, marveling at the hovering drones that appeared before them.

Michael commanded the drones to approach Griffy's house, holding a glass mirror that seemed to play a role in the process.

"Whoa, is this…" Hal's voice trailed off in astonishment as he saw the surrounding area, but through the drone's aerial perspective displayed in the mirror.

However, the feed from the drones suddenly flickered, and Michael observed the obstruction through the trees, realizing that the drones were unable to proceed.

"What's happening?" Veer inquired, the confusion evident in his tone.

"It's a force field," Michael explained, his voice tinged with a mixture of amusement and surprise.

"A force field? How powerful is that old woman?" Hal's raised eyebrows conveyed a blend of shock and trepidation as the realization dawned on the brothers.

Acting swiftly, Michael willed the drones to return to him and, with another gesture, caused them to vanish into his system's storage.

"I believe Griffy is far from being an ordinary village healer. You two are right about her. She is definitely hiding something,," Michael declared, confirming the brothers' instincts.

"What should we do now?" Veer inquired, uncertainty creeping into his voice.

Rather than offering an immediate response, Michael regarded the two brothers with a peculiar smile forming on his lips.

"Do you really want to find your cousin Carmella and be willing to do whatever it takes?" Michael asked.

"Yes," the brothers replied in unison, their determination to rescue their cousin unwavering.

"Good. Because this might get bloody," Michael chuckled.

"Wait here for me," Michael instructed. Before the brothers could voice any objections, he walked around the tree and headed straight back toward Griffy's residence, his intent resolute.

As Michael walked back towards the tree, the halfling noticed his approach and erupted into a tirade of shouting, accompanied by a string of foul language.

"You! You bastard! You think you can just come back here after sucker-kicking me? I'll take you down, you son of a bitch! Get any closer, and I'll tear you apart!" the halfling yelled, his face contorted in anger.

"And you, you damn snake! Bit me like a coward!" He directed his fury not only at Michael but also at the three-headed snake on Michael's shoulder, hurling curses at it for the bite it had inflicted earlier.

Despite the onslaught of profanity and aggression, Michael remained remarkably composed. He raised his index finger to his lips, signaling the halfling to quiet down.

But the halfling was beyond reason. He continued to shout and throw rocks at Michael in a futile attempt to drive him away.

However, in a swift and unexpected move, Michael lunged forward, seizing the halfling by the neck. The halfling's shouting was cut off abruptly, replaced by a choked gasp of surprise and fear.

With deft precision, Michael extracted a syringe from his pocket. The halfling struggled against Michael's grip, his face reddening as he fought for breath.

"You think... You can just... shut me up... you bastard?" the halfling wheezed, his voice strained.

Michael's gaze bore into the halfling's eyes, his expression calm. Without a word, he plunged the syringe into the halfling's neck, injecting him with a paralyzing poison.

The halfling's body went limp, his eyes widening in shock as the poison took effect. His voice faded into silence, and his struggles ceased as his muscles grew slack. He stared at Michael with a mix of anger and fear, his ability to curse now robbed from him.

"Looks like you won't be causing any more trouble," Michael said calmly, his voice devoid of emotion.

Michael hauled Poppy's paralyzed body over to where Veer and Hal stood, shock etched across their faces as they stared at the motionless form of the halfling.

"What... what did you do?" Hal's voice trembled with disbelief as he struggled to comprehend the situation. Michael's response was swift and forceful – he slammed Poppy's limp body against a nearby tree, making a dull thud.

"Is he alive?" Veer's voice quivered with a mix of concern and fear as he examined Poppy's unmoving figure. Veer's sharp gaze caught a subtle movement in Poppy's eyes, indicating that he was still conscious and aware.

"He's just paralyzed," Michael replied calmly, his tone revealing little emotion.

"Where is Carmella?" Hal's voice dripped with anger and desperation. He demanded answers, his emotions bubbling to the surface.

"He can't talk," Veer noted, his eyes darting between Poppy and Michael. In response, Michael retrieved another syringe and positioned it near Poppy's mouth.

"I need some answers, Poppy. I know you're not what you appear to be, and if you want to keep your heart intact, you better answer my questions truthfully," Michael's words cut through the air, dripping with a chilling calmness. Poppy's widened eyes reflected a mix of shock, surprise, and growing fear at the gravity of the situation.