As the late afternoon faded into evening, Ali arrived at the port just as the sun began to set. He popped open the trunk of his car, retrieving a bag full of assorted desserts—cheesecake, ice cream, and more. He had stopped to purchase them on his way. With the bag in hand, he scanned the area and spotted a four-story building across from the port that offered a perfect vantage point.
Ali entered the building, climbing the stairs until he reached the roof. Sitting on the edge, he unpacked the desserts and began to indulge, all while keeping a close eye on the port below.
'If everything works out like I want it to, it'll be interesting to see what kind of reward I get,'Ali thought as he devoured a full-sized cheesecake. 'The guidebook said attribute points are awarded at a rate of 0.5 for completing a personal mission, so I'll need to complete four missions to get at least two points to ascend. But if I excel, the reward increases to a full point. If I do exceptionally well, they'll even throw in Paradise Coins.'
As the sky began to darken, Ali observed the workers finishing their shifts at the port. The last truck rolled away, leaving only a handful of mafia members and guards—twelve, from what he could see with his enhanced vision. The moment he had been waiting for was nearly upon him.
Meanwhile, in another part of Tokyo, Ashley strode down the street, wearing a black jacket she had stolen. The dark fabric contrasted with her vibrant purple hair, making her stand out even more than usual. She finally reached her destination—a small coffee shop preparing to close for the night.
'Finally, I've found it', she thought with satisfaction.
She ducked into a nearby alley, making sure no one was watching. Once hidden, she ran her fingers through her hair, making it appear messy and disheveled. Then she closed her eyes for a few seconds, and when she opened them again, tears began streaming down her cheeks. She cried for a full minute, her sobs genuine and heart-wrenching. Her eyes reddened, making her look like she had been crying for days.
To complete the transformation, Ashley dug her nails into her palms until they bled, then wiped the blood on the inside of the jacket. She took a deep breath, looked up at the sky, and composed herself.
"No mistakes," she reminded herself before stepping out of the alley. The Ashley that emerged looked completely different from the one that had entered moments earlier.
At the same time, in the bustling CCG building, preparations were in full swing. Soldiers hurried through the halls, gathering weapons and supplies for an impending mission. In one office, a junior officer leaned in to whisper to his superior.
"Sir, we can't accept them this easily. There's protocol. We can't just throw them into the operation tomorrow," the officer said, his voice filled with concern.
His superior, however, remained calm. "We don't have time for formalities. Any help is better than none, and they seem capable enough. If it'll make you feel better, I'll place them in the support squad. They won't be on the front lines," he reassured.
Across the room stood five individuals, each carrying bags that looked like they contained weapons. One man, tall and muscular, with brown hair and an air of authority, stood out among the group. His focused eyes and posture exuded confidence and strength, marking him as a natural leader.
Back on the rooftop, the sun had finally set, and Ali was surrounded by empty dessert containers—a pile large enough to feed a family for weeks. Yet, despite the absurd amount of food he had consumed, his body remained unaffected, his enhanced metabolism easily absorbing it all.
Ali glanced down at the port, where most of the workers had already left, leaving only the twelve mafia members to guard the remaining goods. It was quiet, just as he had anticipated.
'The grey booklet provided a brief explanation of how guilds functioned. It stated that only gods could establish official guilds, while players were limited to forming informal groups for independent ventures into different worlds. Interestingly, the description omitted any mention of *Origin*, a concept seemingly concealed from players, at least in the Slums. But if it had included Origin, it would likely go something like this: if a player is not affiliated with a guild, all Origin harvested by that player is absorbed by Reincarnation Paradise. However, if the player belongs to a guild, a portion of the Origin they gather is allocated to the god of that guild, who, in return, allows players to use their Paradise Coins to purchase power from them.'
Ali mulled this over as he finished off the last tub of ice cream, tossing the empty container behind him carelessly on the rooftop.
Standing at the edge of the roof, the fading sunlight accentuated his powerful physique. 'Should I join a guild and acquire power from the gods?' Ali mused. 'In a guild, though, you're constantly under scrutiny. My performance would undoubtedly stir up trouble within the five major guilds. I'm also certain that each guild has spies planted in the others, making it easy for them to gather intel on talented players—whether to assassinate them or lure them away with better offers.'
He pondered for a moment longer before coming to a firm conclusion. "Hmm... in the end, the answer is no."
With his mind made up, Ali leaped from the rooftop. The cold night air rushed past him as he descended quickly toward the ground. His black veins extended from his legs, cushioning his landing and absorbing the impact. Any damage he sustained healed instantly.
Ali wasted no time, sprinting toward the port with incredible speed. Moving in the blind spots of the guards and security cameras, he expertly navigated towards the port without being seen. He leaped over the small wall surrounding the port and landed silently on a nearby crate.
The Japanese mafia members remained oblivious to the intruder in their midst. Ali, now fully in control of the situation, moved swiftly and silently toward one of the warehouses, ready to execute his plan. None of the twelve guards even sensed the presence of the master assassin, who had been studying their movements for hours.
This was his moment.
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Five extra chapters on patreon.com/Rondo312