My name is William.
I work at the Continental Hotel.
My boss left yesterday.
I’m not sad.
I see opportunity.
Soon, I’ll be CEO.
Marry a rich beauty.
Live the dream.
Gets me a little excited just thinking about it.
In reality, William was finally working both sides.
Hotel money on one hand.
System skills on the other.
Double win.
William won twice.
The city had changed.
Fewer Families.
Less conflict.
Empty territory everywhere.
Like blank paper, waiting to be claimed.
Everyone took a piece.
A bar here.
A restaurant there.
Carving up the cake.
William figured the High Table had scared them straight.
Fights stayed contained.
No big events meant no bloodshed.
No bloodshed meant no experience.
William’s growth stalled.
He checked his recent gains: Level 2 Fighting.
Level 1 Field Medicine.
Nothing else.
Working solo meant more free time.
William loved it.
Finish quick.
Play hard.
One problem though.
A masked figure kept appearing.
No matter how many cameras they set, he found and removed them all.
Special people always drew attention.
William’s two-week contract ended.
He pocketed his gold coins and digital balance.
Handed in his badge.
Annabelle came to receive it.
The new staff hadn’t arrived yet.
A lot of people had been purged in that power struggle.
Even trusted partners couldn’t sway the Manager’s decision.
That was why Annabelle was here.
She wanted to hire William again.
His reputation was solid.
Efficient.
Comfortable with death.
“Sure you won’t stay?” Annabelle looked reluctant.
William felt nothing.
That woman was dangerous.
He’d sent enough coworkers to the incinerator to know better.
He smiled awkwardly.
She wanted cooperation.
But she was getting the cash, while the Hotel took the connections.
The favors.
The loyalty.
That’s how relationships were built.
His work was done.
And his bounty was lifted earlier than expected.
William walked away.
Annabelle’s smile faded.
Pity.
But she’d known this day would come.
After that heated argument, she understood.
Their paths were diverging.
The Manager hadn’t been seen since the fight.
Annabelle surveyed the lobby.
So many people stirring.
Managers weren’t permanent.
Her family had clawed their way up too.
The last Manager?
No one even knew where he was buried.
William needed a home.
Somewhere permanent.
He used two gold coins to buy a villa in the wealthy district.
European style.
Move-in ready.
Safety was the draw.
And his neighbor?
The infamous smuggler Burkitt.
The city’s undisputed king of contraband.
A distant relative of one High Table family.
Had controlled the transport routes for years.
Living next to him?
Peace of mind.
First, though, William had an old client to visit.
He took the bus to the suburbs.
A villa belonging to another major player.
Nickname: Black Widow.
Real name: Silvynona.
The locals called her place the Spider’s Nest.
Apt.
Everyone needed skills.
William just happened to fit Black Widow’s standards.
The woman paid triple.
William didn’t mind overtime.
He approached the gate.
Cameras scanned his mask.
A maid opened the door.
Even after multiple visits, William still felt the impact.
A dozen maids in low-cut dresses.
Each one stunning.
Demure.
It was a pleasant sight.
But William knew better.
You don’t find spiders in their own web.
He submitted to the thorough search.
They didn’t remove his mask.
He’d told Black Widow once: “The Bull never removes his mask.” She’d indulged his quirk.
He entered her bedroom.
Black Widow sat upright on a stool.
Drinking blood like wine.
Crimson trails ran from her lips to her bare chest.
She wore nothing but that red.
On the floor lay today’s victim.
Another ex-husband.
Dead.
Like all the others.
William glanced at her.
Strange woman.
She created these messes, then got disgusted by them.
At least she paid triple.
So he worked with a smile.
She studied his mask.
She knew what he looked like.
Her intelligence network was thorough.
But obedient men were boring.
One who said no was interesting.
And his skills were unmatched.
No matter how much she destroyed, he made it spotless.
She shifted in her seat.
Leaning forward.
“So.
Have you decided?
Come work for me.
Don’t worry.” Her voice was silk.
“You’re not like those toys.
I’ll treat you well.”