Shelia left her brother's room and quickly went into her own, which was right next door. Their rooms were almost identical in layout - each had a bunk bed, a desk underneath, a nightstand, shelves, and a wardrobe. If it weren't for the wall separating them, you could say they were mirror images of each other. The only real difference was the color scheme: Shelia's furniture and walls were beige, accented with shades of white, coffee brown, and anthracite.

She sat at her desk, trying to study, but her mind was too occupied with that file. Alfred, her father's right-hand man, had dropped it earlier and in a moment of curiosity, she had picked it up and brought it to her room. What she saw inside had been shocking - too much for her.

She shook her head as if to clear her thoughts. Her brother's words had brought her some comfort, and she believed in him. Standing up from her desk, she prepared for bed and lay down, staring blankly at the ceiling. The shock of what she had learned left her feeling drained. Slowly her eyes began to close and she drifted off to sleep.

.....

My meal had finally arrived. I had missed today's main courses, but the yogurt pasta they had made was more than enough for me. As I slurped it down, I grabbed the detailed file. The 'detailed file' was really just a one-time-use item. Once used, it would go into the system's inventory as a piece of information and stay there until the mission was completed, after which it would be automatically deleted. This skill belonged to Alfred, my father's right-hand man.

I used the item and a screen appeared in front of me:

[Assassination Mission #319 Detailed Plan has been added to your inventory]

I opened my inventory and activated the item.

[Your targets are Maria Nord and Donald Nord. They are married with one child whose whereabouts are unknown. They are both 45 years old. Maria's skill allows her to produce potions that are sold in the system market. Donald's skill allows him to create triple-layered hexagonal shields. Their offensive power is low, but their defensive power and escape chances are high. It is recommended that you take them down with explosive force or a quick attack. The targets will be passing through Library Street at 11:30 tonight. Good luck.]

This is why I love detailed files. No need to use my brain too much, thanks to them.

I stood up and opened the wardrobe by the door. I took out my special suit, the one I used for these kinds of missions. It looked like a diver's suit but was made of a different material. It was designed to maximize my mobility. Jet black with red stripes running down the sides and top. I threw it on the bed. Next, I pulled out a pair of black shoes, also made from a special material. They muffled almost all sounds - whether I was walking, jumping, or landing. If I knew what the material was, I'd use it in my daily life, but my ever-secretive father wouldn't share that information. I placed the shoes beside me and then pulled out the last piece: a special mask.

This mask wasn't made of any earthly material - it was something given to my father by the System. The Faceless Face. Pitch black with the Roman numeral "X" in bright red across the front. Nothing else. Not even any eyeholes. The special thing about the mask was that although there were no holes, you could see and breathe as if there were. It was also very durable. It was an undeniably terrifying appearance - for the victims, that is.

I quickly changed and threw my normal clothes on the chair. 'I could live in this outfit forever.' I thought to myself. Every time I wore it, the comfort and flexibility was unparalleled - an incredible feeling. Then I picked up the mask and put it over my face.

"Are you ready?"

My father, as the owner of these masks, could communicate with us while we wore them. He could see our location and even share our senses. Well, it worked on others - but not on me. Heh. It only works on the weaker ones.

I snapped out of my thoughts and replied, "I'm ready."

"Good."

After getting his approval, I opened the window of my room on the 41st floor. Before jumping, I looked at the time. Perfect, I still have half an hour. I stepped onto the window ledge and turned my back to the outside world. Then I let myself fall.

"Geronimoooooo!" I yelled, plummeting like a bird swooping down on its prey, forming a perfect V-shape as I rapidly descended. Adrenaline surged through my veins and dopamine flooded my body. As I approached the 23rd floor, I slowed down and hooked my index fingers into the small pins on either side of my suit. I pulled them and spread my arms wide. Now I was gliding through the air like a wingsuit pilot.

"I'll never get tired of this."

The whole city stretched out beneath me. It was fascinating to see such a magnificent view from above. But I couldn't afford to lose myself in the moment - I had a mission. Slowly, I glided down and landed on one of the buildings at the entrance to Library Street. Then I called to my father.

"I've landed, Father."

"I'm retracting the wings."

Vuuup!

The wings immediately retracted into their slots as if they had never been there.

"Hooooh." I exhaled deeply and began to move across the rooftops, quietly jumping from one to the next to get into position. A few minutes later, I reached my spot and sent a message to my father.

"I'm in position. What time is it?"

"You have five minutes."

Hmm, more than enough time to get ready. I took my gloves from my inventory and put them on. Then I took out a specially designed sword, made just for this kind of work: 'Crimson Blade'. It was a katana-style sword, forged from a special stone that could both block and shatter certain skills. The sword got its name from the crimson stripe that ran down its center.

I gripped the blade tightly and waited on the rooftop. My position was perfect - right across from the library, at the top of a ten-story building. The streetlight illuminated the area, giving me a clear view of the surroundings and the street.

Soon two figures appeared, walking side by side, chatting casually as they strolled along the sidewalk. At that moment, a voice whispered in my ear:

"It's 23:30."

I didn't need visual confirmation of who they were. The detailed file was never wrong. I prepared to strike.

Damian grabbed the edge of the roof with his left hand and let himself hang down. He braced his feet against the building, ready to jump. Holding his sword in a reverse grip against his arm, he let go of his left hand. At the same moment, he launched himself off the building, charging with incredible speed.

But there was a problem. He had been heard. While his shoes made no sound, the force of his jump caused a large dent in the building, and the resulting noise was more than enough. Donald heard it and immediately activated his ability, trying to block the incoming attack. However, it wasn’t enough. Damian's swift and powerful strike cut through the shields like butter, thanks to the special ability of his sword.

"AAAAAAARGH!" A deep scream echoed from the man.

"Tch. I was aiming for his head." At the last moment, a reflex saved Donald’s head, but it cost him his entire arm. Damian quickly slipped into the shadows, looking for another opening to strike.

Meanwhile, Maria poured a potion on her husband's wound, which was effective enough to stop the bleeding.

“S-sweetheart... What was that?”

“I don’t know, Maria. But what I do know is that this won’t let us go. Running won’t save us.”

Maria quietly pulled out a pair of special potions from her inventory and handed them to her husband secretly.

“With these, we can escape,” she whispered.

“Hehehe. You’re a genius.”

They uncorked the potions, but an unexpected attack struck just as they were about to drink them—a brutal thrust from a sword aimed straight at Donald’s throat. Damian, after stabbing him, twisted the blade and decapitated him. First, his body hit the ground, followed by his severed head.

“A-a-aaa-AAAAAAAAAAAA!”

Maria, seeing her husband's beheaded corpse, ran in terror for her life. Behind the scenes, Damian had watched them out of curiosity, choosing not to attack earlier. But the real reason was to make them believe they could escape. Attacking at that precise moment would shatter all their hopes and make the hunt far more entertaining.

This was how Damian’s mind worked. Though one side of him was warm and compassionate, there was also a dark side. A twisted, sadistic side that relished in killing, shaped by a troubled childhood. Even though he didn't remember it, it had a strong effect on him. He was aware of this part of himself, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t rid himself of it. So, he had chosen to embrace the darkness within.

"Run, run, run. Run as far as you can. You won’t escape me. I’m right behind you. I’m inside your mind. Now... let the hunt begin."

[You have absorbed the spirit of the target. You have a notification.]

"Hehehe. Nice."

I watched as the woman ran off. There was no rush - I knew I could easily catch up to her whenever I wanted. Instead of chasing her, I turned my attention to the mutilated man on the ground. The man appeared to be in his mid-fifties, with greying hair, a thick beard, and a prominent mustache. He was about 1.70 meters tall, overweight, and dressed in a navy blue collared shirt and black trousers.

I examined the fallen potion on the ground.

"Hahaha. Such a simple trick, but it won't work on me. Nothing can escape my eyes."

I poured the liquid from the bottle onto the man lying motionless at his feet. The parts of the man's body that came into contact with the potion immediately disappeared. "A potion of invisibility, huh? Skilled enough to make such a thing. Now I understand even more why my father wanted her taken care of."

The Stark family had many companies working under them, some of which were directly owned. One of these was a pharmaceutical company, the largest on the continent, with hardly any competition. Only Pharmant Pharmaceuticals posed a slight challenge. I suppose they made contact with this woman, perhaps even recruited her. My father must have received word from his spies, which is why he arranged for her to meet an unfortunate end in a 'tragic' assassination.

"I think I've wasted enough time. Now it's time to hunt my prey." Once again I vanished into the shadows. Climbing back up to the building I had jumped from earlier, I leaped across the rooftops until I reached another ten-story building at the end of the street.

"Come on, come on. Show yourself, wherever you are."

'Crimson Eyes. Track.'

[Tracking... Target located. Guiding path.]

A red, rippling line appeared before my eyes, visible only to me, indicating that she was two streets away and still running.

"Hmm. If she keeps running like this, she'll reach the police station in the next block."

The sound of police sirens echoed behind me. Being exposed now would lead to some... unpleasant consequences.

"'Alright then. Let's end this with one clean hit. After that, a nice shower at home will do."

The plan was clear in my mind - now it just needed to be executed.