It was late at night.
New York.
Heavy rain poured endlessly.
At the entrance of The Continental Hotel—
Splash—!
Splash—!
The sound of shoes striking puddles echoed.
Alex Cooper held an umbrella.
He stepped onto the hotel stairs.
Through the doors, his eyes caught sight of the man in a sharp suit, glasses perched on his face—Charon, the concierge.
For a fleeting moment, an unreadable light flashed in Alex's eyes.
He whispered to himself:
"So it really is Charon… I've actually crossed over into the world of John Wick."
Without further hesitation, he pushed open the door and entered.
At that moment, a series of mechanical chimes rang in his mind.
[Ding! Host has entered The Continental Hotel. The System is now fully activated…]
[Identity information updated…]
[Newbie Gift Pack issued…]
[System Mall unlocked…]
Walking toward the front desk, Alex silently commanded in his mind:
"System, open the Newbie Gift Pack."
A second later, more chimes followed.
[Newbie Gift Pack opened successfully. Congratulations, Host has received: 10 Sand Coins, 1 Assassin Recruitment Scroll (Purple), 1 Free Discount Voucher.]
Tap—!
Tap—!
The crisp sound of footsteps approached from the entrance.
At the front desk, Charon, who had been lowering his head, looked up with his signature smile.
"Good evening, sir."
Alex didn't respond.
Instead, he reached into his pocket.
A single gold coin was placed on the counter.
Only then did he speak, calmly:
"I need a room. I'll be staying for about two nights."
"Of course."
Charon, smiling as always, smoothly produced a room keycard and handed it forward.
"Sir, this is your room key. You'll be staying in Room 817."
Alex accepted the keycard and was about to turn away when Charon's voice sounded again.
"Sir, if I may take a moment of your time… Before you head upstairs, I am obliged to remind you of a few rules of the hotel."
"First, no blood may be spilled on Continental grounds. Violation will result in termination of membership—and your life."
"Second, the hotel provides services including lodging, dining, transportation, contract handling, medical assistance, and more. Each service requires proper coin payment."
"And lastly…"
Charon paused briefly, then smiled once more.
"Sir, I wish you a pleasant stay."
"Thank you."
With polite acknowledgment, Alex turned and walked toward the elevator.
Upstairs.
He opened the door to Room 817.
Setting down his umbrella, Alex let out a long breath and collapsed onto the bed.
As a traveler from another world, the experience of crossing over didn't weigh heavily on him.
After all, in his previous life, he had been an orphan with no real friends.
But now, finding himself in this universe—armed with a strange System, and realizing that the John Wick films formed the very foundation of this world—he couldn't help but feel a spark of excitement.
Yes, this world's protagonist, John Wick, had taken down 425 people in just four movies.
But to Alex, whose old life had been numb and colorless, that only promised the thrill he craved.
Especially now, with his golden cheat: The System.
In an instant, he had already decided on his ultimate goal—
To overthrow The High Table, and claim its place for himself.
That was why, the moment The System demanded he reach The Continental to activate it, he had rushed here without delay.
Back on the bed, Alex focused his mind.
A translucent panel, visible only to him, appeared before his eyes.
[Host: Alex Cooper]
[Age: 22]
[Sand Coins: 9]
[Skills: English Mastery LV2, Driving Mastery LV1, …]
[Talents: Quick Learning LV1, Reading People LV2, …]
[Items: Assassin Recruitment Scroll (Purple) ×1, Free Discount Voucher ×1]
[Subordinates: 0]
[Functions: System Mall, Inventory (5 slots)]
[System Mall refreshes once per week, each refresh brings 5 discounted items. Host may consume Sand Coins to force-refresh, but weekly refresh time remains unchanged.]
[Reminder: 1 million USD = 1 Sand Coin. USD may be converted into Sand Coins, but not vice versa. Sand Coins can only be used in the System Mall.]
The functions were straightforward.
Alex's attention naturally gravitated to the Assassin Recruitment Scroll (Purple).
[Assassin Recruitment Scroll (Purple): Upon use, summon one assassin from another cinematic universe. Tier: Purple. Absolute loyalty guaranteed.]
Without hesitation, he selected Use.
[Ding! Assassin Recruitment Scroll activated. Recruiting assassin…]
A purple glow flashed in the room.
And then—
A tall, breathtakingly beautiful female assassin appeared before him.
At a single glance, Alex's eyes lit up as he exclaimed her name:
"Anna!"