He made a lot of sense, and the idea of meeting this mysterious woman drew my interest.

She could turn out to be a dangerous enemy. She could also become a useful ally.

Which role she took would depend on how the meeting was handled.

"I'll agree to meet her," I said. "But I'll choose the place."

Alfonso paused for a moment. His eyes flicked to the window, then back to me.

"That's reasonable," he nodded in agreement.

"So you'll accept it?"

He gave a short nod. "Yes. I'll relay your condition to her. If she's serious about this meeting, she won't object."

"And security?" I added. "No surprises. No hidden escorts."

"Understood," Alfonso replied. "A neutral location chosen by you works in her favor as well."

I leaned back against the chair. "Good. Then we have an agreement."

He straightened his coat and dipped his head slightly. "I'll contact you once she arrives."

With that, he turned and made his way out, leaving the room quiet again.

Meanwhile, I closed my eyes and gathered my thoughts.

That conversation made me conscious of the coming assassination mission. Guild matters had consumed my time, enough to almost push it out of mind.

With that in mind, I headed back to the panic room and reviewed the mission details again.

The folder displayed a full blueprint of the hotel where the senator would be staying.

Floor layouts, access points, even patrol routes were mapped out. It showed which floor he would be on and the level of security in place.

According to the data, the entire fifteenth, sixteenth, and seventeenth floors were rented out.

That meant, I still had to pinpoint the exact room.

Although I could carry out the assassination in a more open way, that was never the plan.

Noise drew attention. Attention created problems.

It needed to look natural, like an accident. Something people would accept without digging deeper.

A sudden chime echoed in my ear.

[New Mission: Kill the Senator in the most flashy way possible. The more people talk about it, the better your reward would be]

[Reward: Card Accelerator]

[Reward: Avatar Card]

So much for making it look like an accident.

"System, what's the Card Accelerator?"

The response came at once.

[Card Accelerator: A single‑use consumable item. When activated, it skips the card simulation process and grants a full one hundred percent synchronization rate instantly. Note: Not all Cards are skippable.]

This was exactly what I had been looking for.

Some simulations involved dozens of unique women, and while each only cost a few hours of real time, the grind added up.

I would rather skip the wait—like a gamer who pays to win instead of grinding endlessly.

"System, what do you mean by 'flashy'?"

There were too many ways to interpret that word.

[Flashy: Must attract maximum attention. Target must be eliminated in a way that is visually impressive, dramatic, or unforgettable to all witnesses. Discretion may be sacrificed for spectacle.]

I frowned. "So… subtle isn't an option?"

[Subtlety reduces reward. Mission is designed for maximum exposure. Success is measured by public reaction, not stealth.]

I tapped my finger on the table, thinking it over. "And the senator's security?"

[Annihilate everyone who stands in your way, Host, and you will have a chance to obtain a Card ranked higher than Asura.]

My breath slowed.

'Higher than Asura.'

That single line carried more weight than the mission itself.

Asura rank had already given me qualitative leaps in power.

Strength, control, instincts—everything crossed into a different tier.

The gap between before and after was so wide that each time I used it, I felt like a different person altogether.

However, greed could easily backfire if I wasn't careful. I needed a plan that minimized risk while maximizing the reward.

Then it hit me—something I'd almost overlooked. This world had monsters, and I had a skill no one suspected. I could become a werewolf, a living weapon.

If I used that form, the attack could be blamed on a monster's rampage.

The senator would die, and I would remain untraceable. But it wasn't just about concealment. Darkness had long manipulated monsters before; exploiting that history could sow chaos among their ranks.

One move, two kill.

With that strategy forming, I went back over every detail—routes, patrols, security levels. Nothing could be left to chance

In the end, one option stood above the rest.

The senator's speech.

Media would be there in full force. High-ranking officials would fill the room. Cameras captured every move, and the federal office gave the event unmatched significance.

Attempting it there would make the mission harder than ever, yet the higher difficulty promised a better chance at an overpowered card.

And once I got that card, even if every finger pointed at me, no one would be able to stop me.

'I'm sorry about the senator, but he's going to be my stepping stone.'

The day slipped by.

In the morning, I got up and prepared myself. The senator's assassination would have to wait. There were still other matters that demanded my attention first.

The press conference for my guild.

Under normal conditions, reporters would not care about a newly built guild. There were too many popping up and failing every year.

Mine was different.

The headline alone was enough to pull every major network in.

ACE MERCER.

Son of Daniel Mercer, recently deceased. Sole heir to a fortune worth billions.

The story didn't stop there.

Just weeks before the fire tragedy, I had been trapped inside a Tower Echo. I survived. I walked out alive. Public records showed it clearly. Interviews confirmed it. Witnesses backed it up.

Gratitude and Survival became the hook.

According to the narrative, the experience changed me. Faced with death, saved by Seekers, I decided to give something back.

A top-tier guild built with private wealth, right here in the city.

Money, survival, ambition, and timing aligned too perfectly to ignore. Reporters didn't just want to cover it.

They needed to.

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