Vittoria Hotel. A high-end establishment with forty-three floors, it had chain branches in every major city across the Six Nations. The real owner behind it was the Dark Web Organisation. Only its members were allowed to stay; ordinary people were turned away with "fully booked" excuses. It functioned as a safe house, as well as a trading hub for various operatives. Violence was forbidden on the premises, and any violator would face relentless pursuit.
After obtaining his credentials, Xiao Han arrived at the Vittoria Hotel. The interior was elegantly decorated with classical wooden furniture and a bar counter, all in a dark brown shade with a smooth, enamel-like sheen. A tranquil atmosphere permeated every corner.
Xiao Han went to the front desk and showed his Blood Covenant Association coin. A waiter led him to the twenty-third floor.
Floors twenty-two, twenty-three, and twenty-four were designated areas for the Blood Covenant Association. The twenty-third floor served as a lounge for killers and a transaction hall, where contracts were accepted and payments were received. There were also various entertainment facilities, such as a bar, a café, and a restaurant.
After handing over the dark gold coin at the reception desk on the twenty-third floor, a waiter wearing white gloves received Xiao Han. They settled into a semi-private booth, and the waiter took out a black leather notebook and a pen to record the new member's information.
"Please choose a code name."
Xiao Han thought for a moment. He wanted a name that would stand out, something that might help with his reputation.
"Imperial Crimson, Stellar Corps, Observer Class, Serial Number 9527."
The waiter looked impressed but utterly bewildered.
Most names on the killer roster were variations of "Silver Fox," "Shadow Serpent," or "Wraith"—the same tiresome names over and over. This uniquely eccentric, chuunibyou-inspired moniker would definitely catch an employer's attention. It had flair... but it was just too long.
"Could we shorten it a bit?" the waiter asked, clearing his throat.
Hmm? People usually complained about names being too short, not too long.
Xiao Han thought again. "Black."
The waiter was speechless. That was far too short. While single-character names were allowed, all the colour-based ones—Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet—had already been claimed by older, now-deceased legendary killers. The organisation wouldn't repurpose their names.
Xiao Han clicked his tongue. It seemed that no matter where you went, picking a name was a hassle. After a moment, he said, "Then call me Mr. Black."
"Mr. Black... very well."
That sounded normal. The waiter quickly noted it down.
"You are now a probationary killer with a blank record. You will be promoted to Scorpion-class after completing one mission. Employers will select from the list of available killers. If someone chooses you, we will contact you. Alternatively, you can accept open contracts or bounties. You are also free to take on private jobs. The Association has no mandatory requirements for contract killers, but we will take a five per cent cut of the bounty as a service fee. If you have any further questions, you can always call the Vittoria Hotel front desk."
"That's reasonable." Xiao Han nodded.
He had joined the Blood Covenant Association for two reasons. First, to claim the high-value bounties that had accumulated on the Dark Web. He knew each one would trigger an assassination mission with generous rewards. His second goal was to rank in the top ten on the Dark Web's killer leaderboard, which would grant him one point of regional reputation.
With just over three months until open beta, he wanted to use this remaining time to build up significant capital.
"These are the current bounties."
The waiter brought out a tablet, pulled up the Dark Web's bounty interface, and handed it to Xiao Han.
The first thing Xiao Han noticed was the hottest bounty, posted by Sprout. The target was none other than himself.
"Zero. Dead or alive. Reward: five million. Last known location: Western Capital, Star Dragon... Ha. Good luck with that."
If he had returned to Western Capital, he would have been constrained. Good thing he had left. Xiao Han smirked inwardly, wondering how long it would take Sprout to realise they were chasing a ghost.
His bounty was the most active right now. Sprout was hunting him relentlessly. But it wasn't the highest. Some long-standing bounties offered even more, some in the tens of millions—nearly impossible tasks. One bounty, for instance, was for stealing highly classified documents from a certain nation. Given the tight security around that nation's underground mainframe, the success rate was less than 0.1 per cent, with a casualty rate of ninety-nine per cent. No one would take it. It was just there for show.
Scanning the list below, one mission caught his eye. The target was an entire mercenary organisation called Rose Arms, operating in the Somar Desert of the southern continent.
The southern continent was where Star Dragon and Hai Xia were located. Also called the Southern Continent, it was vast and hot. Across the ocean were the Northern Continent, Western Continent, and, at the centre of them all, the Andia Continent.
Xiao Han chose this mission because it was relatively close. Just as he was about to accept it, the waiter paused, checked another device, and then spoke. "Mr. Black, you have received a commission."
Xiao Han was surprised. His information had only been uploaded to the killer roster five minutes ago, and there was already a job?
"Your business is really good," Xiao Han said with genuine admiration.
The waiter was also puzzled. "This is an exception."
"What is the contract?"
"The client wants to discuss it with you in person." The waiter glanced at the computer. "He will arrive in about ten minutes. Please wait here for a moment."
Xiao Han had no objection.
After waiting ten minutes, a middle-aged man walked over quickly. His hair was already greying, prematurely aged, and his face carried a deep, persistent sorrow. He entered the hall, looked around, and came to Xiao Han. His voice was low. "I am Cheng Shanshui."
Before accepting a contract, the target's real name could not be disclosed. Only basic information could be asked. So Xiao Han inquired, "What is your compensation? What are the enemy's defences and location?"
"Twelve to twenty bodyguards, right here in Morning Breeze City. The reward is one hundred thousand."
Xiao Han raised an eyebrow. "Only one hundred thousand?"
That price would not attract a killer.
Cheng Shanshui nodded nervously. Other killers had rejected him immediately upon hearing the reward. He had no money, so he had approached a newcomer on a gamble. That was why he had chosen Xiao Han.
"I'll take it," Xiao Han said with a nod.
Cheng Shanshui's face lit up with joy. He pulled a stack of documents from his briefcase and slid them across the table with his finger. "Yue Youzhu. The location is here in Morning Breeze City."
Yue Youzhu was a Hai Xia gangster. He was always accompanied by twelve to sixteen bodyguards, all former military scouts. He had recently expanded his influence into Morning Breeze City. Cheng Shanshui was a local gang leader. Unable to withstand Yue Youzhu's incursion, his organisation had crumbled, leaving him alone. So he had decided to spend money to hire a killer for revenge.
After reviewing the documents, Xiao Han signed the contract. A prompt appeared on his interface.
[You have triggered E-rank mission [Assassination Contract (Cheng Shanshui)]!]
He did not need to read the mission requirements; he already understood. He looked directly at the reward. It was modest, only twenty-five thousand experience points.
"I'm leaving." Xiao Han stood up and turned to go.
Cheng Shanshui quickly called out to him. "How long will it take you to complete the mission?"
Xiao Han paused. He turned to look out the window. It was noon. "You haven't had lunch yet, have you?" he said.
Cheng Shanshui was startled, not understanding what he meant.
Xiao Han glanced back at him. His voice was calm. "By the time you finish eating, he will be dead."
Cheng Shanshui's heart skipped a beat.
In his understanding, a killer preparing to assassinate a target would first do their groundwork—gathering intelligence, planning escape routes, and so on.
Was this Mr. Black arrogant, or was he truly that formidable?