Chapter 262: 259: An overview of the plan to assassinate Oliver

"Alright, now that we've resolved this unexpected encounter, let's continue on our journey."

Marshall announced to the group as he vaulted gracefully onto the back of his fire-tailed steed with practiced ease.

Val also hopped onto his own horse before he turned to Oliver, who was sitting on the horse parallel to his, and said, "Thank you. If not for your timely intervention, I would've been in quite a pickle."

The rewards for killing a level 60+ beast had 

appeared more lucrative to Val than whatever he might earn from defeating Clea and his group of assassins if he came across them in the lesser dimension.

Thus, despite the risk of exposing his true strength to the rest of the group—and thereby perhaps deterring Clea from attempting to assassinate Oliver in the lesser dimension—Val had chosen to attack the beast weakened by Marshall's disastrous kick.