Shantalar, the city of the eternal shade, hid many secrets. Countless were the legends of ghosts, crypts, monsters, and gruesome murderers. But perhaps the most widespread tale came from the city's underbelly, where Maldir the Destroyer had set up a bar. Hidden under the thirteenth house of the thirteenth street of the thirteenth district, it rewarded those who found it with the strongest of ale and the deadliest of weaponry. Rumours of the bar spread like wildfire amongst night-dwellers, and Maldir made a killing. Both figuratively and literally.
Xua Yu stood in front of the bar's wooden door, breathing roughly. If he was to contract an assassin in game, this place was his best bet. He pulled his hood up. There was a lot of noise coming from inside, so he had to knock hard to be heard. A piece of wood slid to the side and a pair of eyes locked onto him.
"Passwerd?" The voice of the man on the other end was gruff, like he had just gotten throat punched.
"Roses speak of death."
"Welcome to Maldir's, mate." The stubby man dragged him inside and shut the door behind him. "Destroy responsibly."
The first thing that hit was the smell. Cheap alcohol and blood with a touch of spew. The second thing that hit was the shrapnel, lodging inside the thick leather of his armor and almost knocking him over. Maldir was showing off weapons again.
The patrons watched and cheered as the bulky bearded man toyed with the pistol, downing wine like prisoners left to thirst for weeks. Their clothes betrayed what the drinks tried to hide; none of them could afford such weapons. Still, Maldir always reveled in his showcase.
Xua Yu slid to the other, darker side of the bar. Men here groaned and turned, sprawled on the ground or over the tables. It was hard to tell if wine or a few too many blows to the head were to blame. Perhaps it was both.
"Psst. Over here." Xua Yu heard the whisper of a hooded figure slumped over a table. The name over his head read simply 'Alex M.'
"You're my contact?" Xua Yu sat beside the man.
"No, I'm Saint Mary. Now get down." Alex pulled on his robe and Xua Yu leaned on the table, pretending to sleep.
"Know how hard it was to get here?" Xua Yu whispered back. "What's with the name by the way? I expected a Shadowblade or a Deathbringer. Something more fitting for an assassin."
"Go pick a name like Deathblade and see how many kills it takes till you are at the top of every watch list. A good name puts people at ease and doesn't draw attention. And after the job is done, no one ever suspects the Alex."
"That's fair." Xua Yu shifted in his seat. "What about my job? Are you gonna take it?"
"Depends on the elements of the equation. How much?"
"Ten thousand."
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"Ten thousand dollars?" Alex asked.
"Gold."
The man stayed silent. It was a ridiculous amount of money, but the task was anything but easy. Still, Xua Yu felt that it was worth it. Alex had been an unofficial ranker for years, and could easily occupy a spot in the single digits if he decided to duel. He tried to avoid publicity, but he had made a name for himself in other ways. 'Other ways' in this instance meant stabbing, gutting and perhaps decapitating. It wasn't pretty, but it was just what Xua Yu needed.
"I'll assume, for now, that you can pay that amount," Alex said. "Who is the target?"
Xua Yu swallowed. He'd been rejected a dozen times by now. Might as well make it thirteen. "Asire."
"Consider it done." Alex accepted immediately. He smiled under his hood, showing the white of his teeth.
Xua Yu felt shivers running down his spine. The other hitmen had shown fear and hesitation, yet Alex displayed something else… Excitement.
"I'm not paying in advance," Xua Yu said. Alex had agreed a little too easily.
"Of course. Make a quest."
A man stumbled over from the other side of the bar and flopped onto their table, scattering bits and pieces of the chair that hit him. He murmured under his breath and stood again, limping back to the bar. Xua Yu tried to focus on creating the quest despite the interruption and the bar’s constant noise.
Player Created Quest : Kill Contract : Asire Description: Asire, the number one player belonging to the guilds of the Hallowed, has gone down in history as being undefeated. Be the one to end his legacy. Difficulty : Unknown
Quest Clear Conditions :
Kill Asire during a PvP battle.
Quest time limit :
None.
Rewards :
10.000 gold. A title.
Xua Yu winced a little as 10.000 gold coins left his inventory. The system would manage it until Alex either cleared the quest or the time limit ran out. Much to Xua Yu’s surprise, there was also a title to be gained. Players were free to create quests, but Kosmos would always filter them and apply a correction effect.
“As promised.” Xua Yu shared the details of the quest and Alex’s smile grew wider.
[Alex M. has accepted your quest.]
“Glad to be doing business with you, Xua.”
Xua Yu’s blood froze in his veins. “How do you know who I am?”
“In my line of work, it’s vital that you know your clients as well as your targets.” Alex righted himself and pretended to rub his eyes. “Keep your mouth shut about me and I’ll do the same.” He stood awkwardly and headed for the exit with uneven steps.
Xua Yu was once again left alone in a bar, but this time he didn't have the heart to drink. Not when he was about to bring ruin to everything he had spent his life building. He took a deep breath and muttered to himself.
“Destroy responsibly…”