A figure emerged silently from the shadows near the entrance of the warehouse partition, appearing as if he had been standing there all along.
Mike’s heart skipped a beat.
He was certain he had been staring right at that spot, yet the man had appeared out of nowhere like a magic trick.
The man wore a navy-blue skin-tight suit that barely reflected the light.
A mask covered his face, leaving only his eyes visible, and a matching headband was tied around his forehead.
In his right hand, he held a slightly curved katana; in his left, a suppressed pistol held at a natural low-ready.
A ninja?
“You…
who are you?” the ninja asked, his voice low and raspy with a distinct Japanese accent.
“How dare you interfere with the business of The Hand!”
The Hand?
The name sounded familiar to Mike, but the situation was too critical for him to stop and think.
He didn’t answer.
Talking was a waste of time and an invitation for a counterattack.
Gripping his Desert Eagle tight, Mike aimed at the ninja’s chest and squeezed the trigger without hesitation!
*Bang!
Bang!*
However, the moment the muzzle flared, the ninja twisted his body in a way that defied common logic.
He glided forward and to the side like a phantom, leaving a blurred afterimage.
The two bullets whistled past the hem of his suit and slammed into the wall behind him, blasting out two small craters.
What incredible speed!
Mike’s heart sank.
“Hmph!” The ninja let out a cold snort.
He snapped his left hand up, pointing his pistol at Mike.
“Foolish.
Your weapon is too big, too slow.
It renders your stealth abilities useless.”
His gaze swept over the exaggerated silhouette of the Desert Eagle, his tone dripping with mockery.
“A Desert Eagle.
Five shots outside, two just now.
Seven rounds.
You have no chance to reload!”
As he spoke, he advanced with steady, calculated steps.
His katana was angled toward the floor, his pistol leveled at Mike.
He closed the distance step by step.
“Now, tell me.
Who sent you?
Perhaps I will make your end a quick one.”
Mike’s expression remained grim, but he didn’t panic.
Instead, beneath his black neck gaiter, his lips curled into a smile.
*Bang!
Bang!*
When the ninja was about five meters away, Mike pulled the trigger repeatedly!
There was a momentary pause as Mike confirmed the ninja had been hit.
Seeing that the man hadn’t fallen, Mike continued to fire without stopping!
*Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!*
*Clatter!*
The improvised silencer, shredded by the intense pressure of the muzzle blast, fell to the floor.
Mike stopped firing, his breath coming in heavy gasps.
The ninja collapsed to the ground, his eyes wide with utter shock.
His reactions had been pushed to the limit; he had dodged the first shot, but the second had torn through his left arm, and the subsequent rounds had riddled his torso.
The pistol had long since slipped from his fingers.
His body convulsed a few times before blood began to rapidly pool on the floor, staining the concrete red.
Mike stood dazed for a moment, looking at the warehouse that had returned to a deathly silence.
He could feel his heart hammering against his ribs.
The rapid-fire sequence had left his wrist feeling slightly numb.
Only then did he step forward to get a better look at the man dressed as a ninja.
The Hand…
Marvel?
Memories from Mike’s previous life surged into clarity.
Supposedly, they were an ancient ninja organization with deep roots in the New York underworld.
There were rumors of resurrection and Dragon Bone…
[Ding!]
[Scenario Quest: “Drug Den Cleanup” – Warehouse section completed.]
Mike ignored the system notification.
He ran to the door and shut the warehouse entrance tight.
He found some old clothes to wrap around his muzzle as a makeshift suppressor and then put two rounds into the ninja’s head.
*Bang!
Bang!*
Looking at the two gaping holes where the face used to be, Mike breathed a sigh of relief.
Your brain is literal mush now—let’s see you resurrect from that!
I’m a transmigrator who came back from the dead; why should I be afraid of a low-level ninja from The Hand?
Mike paused.
Well, he actually was a little afraid.
He turned his attention to finding the computer connected to the surveillance cameras and fired several shots into the PC tower, smashing it to pieces.
A few minutes later, Mike turned over a dozen crates of contraband to the system and stuffed several rolls of cash he found into his pockets.
Finally, he poured a canister of gasoline over the warehouse floor and the corpses.
He struck a light and made a swift exit.
As he climbed back up to the apartment building and retracted his rope, he felt a ripple of distortion in the air around him.
Looking down, the blurred light around his body seemed to snap back into focus.
It was only then that he realized that if he hadn’t been in a state of stealth, he might have been able to take out the first three men, but he would have been no match for a ninja of The Hand.
Dealing with the ninja and the last-minute arson had cost him an extra five minutes over his estimate.
Fortunately, it hadn’t hindered his escape.
Once in the car, Mike took a long time to steady his nerves.
Watching the thin plumes of smoke beginning to rise from the direction of the warehouse, he started the engine and drove away slowly.
When he got home, Mike tossed the cash onto the table and collapsed onto the sofa.
He stared at the bundles of bills—roughly $10,000—and rubbed his face hard.
“System, can I end the mission directly?”
[Mission submission criteria met.
Do you wish to submit early?]
Recalling the ninja’s eerie movements as he dodged bullets, Mike didn’t hesitate for a second.
“Yes!”
[Mission Rating: B+.
Successfully cleared a drug den, successfully turned in contraband, embezzled illicit funds.]
[Reward Issued: 300 Points.]
[Current Points: 300.]
A B+?!
It was slightly higher than his rating for the side quest where he found Old Joseph’s pocket watch!
And the point reward was more than he had anticipated.
It seemed likely that the apartment complex where Jesse lived didn’t have any ninjas.
Clearing it might not have been that difficult on its own, but he didn’t want to gamble—especially not on whether he’d leave a trail behind.
Jesse’s chaotic neighborhood would have been a different story.
Mike shook his head, pushing the thoughts aside.
He stood up and began packing his clothes and daily necessities.
He had already planned to move!
Now, he didn’t want to wait another minute.
He had inadvertently poked a hornet’s nest.
If they had a way to track him back here, he was in trouble!
His stealth was only a fifteen-minute trial skill, but those people had an entire army of ninjas who could truly infiltrate and assassinate!
After some effort, he managed to pack two duffel bags and a suitcase.
The less important items were packed into cardboard boxes.
The sky was beginning to brighten.
Despite his mental exhaustion, Mike was wide awake.
Slumping back onto the sofa, Mike finally remembered to check the system shop.
He sank his consciousness into the system interface.
[Personal Status]
Name: Mike Lee Identity: NYPD Patrol Officer Strength: 15 Agility: 11 Spirit: 12 Skills: None Items: Desert Eagle Pistol (Infinite Ammo) Points: 300
His points had gone from 0 to 300.
Turning his gaze to the system shop, there were many more options available now.
The original [Basic Stealth (15-minute limit)] and the other cards from last time had disappeared, replaced by several new cards emitting a soft glow.
[Skill Card: Basic Combat (30-minute limit)] Effect: Master basic fighting and grappling techniques to enhance close-quarters combat capability.
Note: A guarantee for completing missions.
Exchange Price: 150 Points
[Skill Card: Dynamic Vision (Passive)] Effect: Permanently provides a slight increase to dynamic visual acuity and reaction speed, allowing for clearer tracking of fast-moving objects.
Note: Seeing bullets is no longer just a dream.
Exchange Price: 300 Points
[Item Card: Universal Lockpick (10/10)] Effect: Can open the vast majority of mechanical locks and some simple electronic locks.
10 uses.
Note: Unhindered access.
Exchange Price: 200 Points
[Attribute Point: Strength +1] Exchange Price: 100 Points
[Attribute Point: Agility +1] Exchange Price: 100 Points
[Attribute Point: Spirit +1] Exchange Price: 100 Points
Initially, Mike was drawn to [Basic Combat], but once his eyes landed on [Dynamic Vision], he couldn’t look away.
The image of that ninja dodging bullets like a ghost was still fresh in his mind.
If his reactions had been faster and his ability to track movement stronger, that guy wouldn’t have dodged the first two shots!
Strength and Agility were important, but when facing opponents who defied common sense, being able to track their movements was the key to survival.
Though this passive skill would drain all the points from this mission, its value was unquestionable.
“Exchange for [Dynamic Vision].”
He didn’t hesitate.
[Spent 300 Points.
Obtained Passive Skill: Dynamic Vision…
Loading skill…]
A cool sensation instantly flooded his eyes, then spread to his optic nerves and reached his entire brain.
The world seemed to undergo a subtle change.
The flickering text on a distant sign became sharper.
He blinked.
The enhancement wasn’t world-shattering, but it was real—like his visual system had just undergone a precision calibration and upgrade.
His points returned to zero.
Checking his [Personal Status] again, his Agility had unknowingly increased to 12!
[Personal Status]
Name: Mike Lee Identity: NYPD Patrol Officer Strength: 15 Agility: 12 …
He exited the system interface.
As a wave of fatigue finally crashed over him, Mike was finally ready to sleep.