Monday, July 26, 1740
The sound of an alarm clock kept ringing loudly in one of the hotel rooms. From the bed, Winter Ghost woke up and turned it off.
"Hah... Damn, I still want to sleep."
Graham Hotel consists of four buildings connected by corridors on several floors. At the moment, Winter Ghost is in a different building from the one that will be occupied by Claudius and the Ravens.
Unlike the building exclusively reserved for Claudius Jahanam, the building where Winter Ghost is staying is open to the public. Because of that, the hitmen are spread across the other three buildings.
Of course, they haven't spread out yet, since it is still 07:00, and information about the second prince's lodging has not yet been revealed.
Ghost got up from his bed and pushed aside the blanket. He also released the hunting rifle he had been holding and stepped down from the bed.
It might seem strange for someone to sleep while holding a weapon, but this is actually quite common among soldiers. Especially former special forces soldiers like Winter Ghost.
That's right, before becoming a hitman, Ghost was once part of the Legion, a special military unit composed of users of identity-based powers. However, after achieving extraordinary accomplishments in the Legion, Ghost suddenly disappeared, and sometime later, he reappeared as an O'clock.
Because of this experience, Ghost eventually developed several strange habits.
After getting up, Ghost immediately went to the mirror to straighten his tie. Before going to sleep, he had already put on the clothes he would wear the next day. This was one of his peculiar habits, although he rarely admitted it and would justify it as a matter of efficiency.
Because of this, his clothes often look messy and wrinkled, causing him to be misunderstood as careless. In reality, however, Ghost is highly disciplined, especially due to the military training he received during his time in the Legion.
Feeling satisfied with his appearance, Ghost moved away from the mirror and walked to the window. He unlocked it and, without the slightest hesitation, jumped down.
The wind roared into his ears as his hair and clothes fluttered upward. Calmly, he looked down, taking in the morning view of the city of Faulust.
Ghost smiled faintly, entertained by the beautiful scenery. He shifted his gaze from the ground to the morning sun illuminating the city.
"Truly, a beautiful view."
Feeling the warmth of the morning sun, Ghost quickly realized that the ground was getting closer. Before his feet could touch it, he had already shifted onto the rooftop of an office building near Graham Hotel.
From one building to another, Ghost continued moving until he finally reached his destination.
The train station.
However, instead of a beautiful view, what he saw there only filled him with annoyance and confusion.
"What the hell is this?"
A chaotic scene. Hitmen roaming everywhere, killing freely without the slightest fear, as if they had forgotten the ten fundamental rules of Double A.
"These pests! Have they forgotten the terror of an O'clock?" Ghost gritted his teeth.
A bitter grin appeared on his face. His gaze turned cold and cruel as he dropped a smoke bomb, obscuring the view of journalists and cameras.
"If you've forgotten, then let me remind you… just how terrifying an O'clock can be."
The smoke bomb immediately drew the attention of the hitmen. As they looked up, fear and panic quickly filled their hearts.
A commotion broke out among them, but it only lasted for a moment.
Before they could resolve it, one of the hitmen's heads was severed in an instant—and soon, the other 78 met the same fate.
In just three seconds, the battlefield turned into a sea of blood.
Winter Ghost stood among the corpses, mocking their foolishness. With an indifferent expression, he walked through the sea of blood he had created.
Smoke spread in all directions, carrying the stench of blood, and from within it came a mocking chuckle.
Hector, dressed in a white suit, emerged from the smoke and taunted Winter Ghost. The two exchanged a brief verbal confrontation before parting ways.
Once again, Ghost moved from one rooftop to another until he arrived in front of a family restaurant.
He took a seat at a table in the corner. While waiting for someone, he ordered several dishes for breakfast, since he hadn't had the chance to eat anything since leaving the hotel.
Not long after his order arrived, the person he was waiting for showed up. Ghost's expression stiffened as he faced a dilemma between continuing his meal or handling his business.
"Want to eat first?"
Ghost offered with a friendly smile.
But Dan Yuan rejected the offer outright.
"NO."
Ghost let out a sigh. In the end, he had to give up his meal.
He stood up and touched Dan Yuan's shoulder. As if the world spun, the entire room twisted violently, and the restaurant suddenly transformed into an open space with strong winds blowing.
Ghost let go of Dan Yuan's shoulder and stepped back, allowing him to finish his task.
"Record of Akasha."
"Red Sign—"
Dan Yuan released an arrow that shattered the barrier surrounding Graham Hotel, completing his task.
Ghost tried to offer him food again, but once more, he was firmly rejected. In the end, Ghost simply shrugged and returned to the restaurant.
When he got back, he returned to his seat—but the food on his table had completely disappeared.
Confused, Ghost decided to ask one of the waiters.
"Excuse me, but where is the food that was on my table?"
The waiter froze for a moment, his face stiff, cold sweat dripping from his forehead.
"The food at the corner table?" the waiter asked hesitantly.
Ghost nodded.
Thud!
A sound came from beneath the table. Ghost looked down to find several waiters eating the food he had ordered. They stared at each other in silence.
"..."
In the end, Ghost left the restaurant on an empty stomach. He didn't bother protesting, knowing it was partly his fault for leaving his food behind.
With his stomach rumbling, he headed back to the hotel.
"Hah... I hope the food at the hotel is good."
—
At night, Ghost left his room to smoke.
There were two connecting corridors he could use, but for some reason, he felt drawn to the one leading to Claudius's building.
Normally, he wouldn't take such a risk just to relax, but it felt like an invisible force was pulling him there—too strong to resist.
In the end, he ignored the odd feeling and went there to smoke.
As he was enjoying his cigarette, a Raven with a sword on his back approached, seemingly wanting to smoke as well.
The Raven took out a cigarette but looked confused, patting his pockets in search of a lighter. Being kind and generous, Ghost smiled and offered his.
"Need a light?"