I Want to Die, But I Am Immortal
Chapter 39: The Waiting Game

Chapter 39: The Waiting Game

Adam’s eyes snapped open. He was back in Sophia’s bed. The familiar sight brought a wave of cold dread. He was trapped in this loop, a prisoner in this small sunlit room.

He couldn’t understand how to neutralize the three assassins. He couldn’t figure out a way to keep Sophia’s family safe. He had tried a direct assault. He had tried a surprise attack. Both had ended in his swift and brutal death.

He sat up in the bed, his mind racing. He replayed the last loop, the image of the knife clattering harmlessly off the assassin’s chest. They were professionals. They were prepared. They were wearing body armor. A frontal assault was suicide.

Then, a new thought, a different approach, began to form in his mind. A small, cold smile touched his lips. "I keep making the same mistake," he whispered to himself, his voice a low murmur in the quiet room. "I keep thinking about how to neutralize all three of them. But I only need to focus on one."

The thought was a revelation, a key that unlocked a new path forward. His gaze drifted to Sophia’s sleeping form on the floor. "Don’t worry," he said, his voice now filled with a new, grim determination. "I won’t let anything happen to you."

Unbeknownst to him, Sophia was not asleep. She had been feigning sleep, her heart pounding in her chest as she listened to his quiet movements. She heard his whispered promise, and a deep, warm blush spread across her cheeks. She kept her eyes closed, her breathing even, not wanting him to know she was awake.

Adam didn’t notice. He stood up from the bed, his movements now filled with a renewed sense of purpose. He slipped out of the room, quietly locking the door behind him.

He then moved to Anastasia’s room and locked that door as well. He picked up the small paring knife from the hallway table and descended the stairs. He grabbed the heavy cast-iron frying pan, and then, instead of heading towards the shop, he went back up the stairs.

He didn’t go all the way up. He stopped halfway, crouching on the landing, concealed by the small wall that separated the staircase from the main hallway. He closed his eyes. He focused all of his enhanced senses, all of his concentration, on the sounds of the house.

He could hear Anastasia pounding on her bedroom door, her small fists making a muffled thudding sound. He ignored her cries. His entire being was focused on the movements of the three masked men. He was waiting.

After a few moments, he heard it. A soft thump from downstairs. It was the sound of Sophia’s mother falling to the floor. A pang of guilt shot through him, but he pushed it down. He couldn’t save her.

Not yet. He had to focus on the larger plan. He knew that now that the first kill was done, they would be coming for him. They knew he was in the house. They would be coming up the stairs. All he had to do was wait.

He held the knife in one hand and the frying pan in the other. He waited. The minutes stretched into an eternity. He had expected them to come up immediately, but the house remained silent, save for the incessant pounding from Anastasia’s room.

Then, he heard it. A faint creak from the wooden stairs below. It was a sound so soft that a normal person would have missed it. But to Adam’s enhanced senses, it was as loud as a gunshot. He knew they were here.

He could visualize the scene below. The assassin who had shot him in the leg in the previous loop was now on the stairs, his silenced pistol pointed upwards. He was signaling to his two partners behind him, telling them to provide covering fire. They were moving slowly, cautiously, professionally.

And then, Adam’s luck turned. The pounding on the upstairs doors intensified. Now, Sophia was pounding on her door too, her cries joining her sister’s.

The sudden increase in noise, the sound of two people trying to break out of their rooms, seemed to confuse the assassins. Adam could sense their hesitation, their momentary confusion.

He remained perfectly still, his concentration absolute. He was a predator waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

And then, his luck turned again. The lead assassin, the one on the stairs, seemed to grow impatient. He must have thought that his target was trying to escape through a window. He turned and gestured to one of his partners, pointing towards the back of the house. The man nodded and then moved quickly, his footsteps now clearly audible as he ran towards the back door. Adam could hear the sound of his footsteps fading as he went outside to check the perimeter.

One down, two to go.

The lead assassin, his patience now completely gone, began to ascend the stairs more quickly. He was no longer moving with the slow, cautious steps of a professional. He was rushing, his focus on the locked doors above, his mind on a target he believed was about to escape.

That was his biggest mistake.

Adam heard the change in his footsteps, the increase in his speed. He knew this was his chance. This was the moment he had been waiting for. He opened his eyes, his gaze cold and focused. He was ready.

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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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