After the workshop, Marcus returned to his warehouse base. He had work to do.
First: process the success from last night's contract. The Starfall Guild had deposited 35,000 gold for Captain Redfield's elimination. Combined with his existing funds, he now had 310,000 gold liquid assets.
Second: review new contracts. Now that he was officially Bronze Rank, he could take on stronger targets without it seeming suspicious. And with his new poison strategy, he could handle opponents who'd previously been too risky.
The contract board had several interesting options:
Target: Lady Vivienne Ashworth Rank: Silver Rank - Low Stage Crimes: Running illegal fighting pits, forcing enslaved fighters to battle to the death Location: Private estate in Noble Quarter Bounty: 50,000 gold
Target: Merchant-Lord Thaddeus Crane Rank: Bronze Rank - Peak Stage Crimes: Fraud, embezzlement, blackmail. Ruined seventeen families financially Location: Fortified townhouse in Merchant District Bounty: 30,000 gold
Target: "The Surgeon" (real name unknown) Rank: Silver Rank - Mid Stage Crimes: Serial killer, 31 confirmed victims, removes organs while victims are alive Location: Unknown, operates in Lower District Bounty: 80,000 gold
Marcus studied each option carefully. The Lady Ashworth contract was tempting—Silver Rank but lower stage, and the crime was clearly deserving of death. 50,000 gold was good pay.
But "The Surgeon" caught his attention. 80,000 gold. And the target was a serial killer who'd evaded capture for two years. That suggested skill, intelligence, and paranoia.
Difficult. Dangerous. High reward.
Exactly the kind of challenge his paranoid preparations were designed for.
Marcus pulled out his alchemy supplies and began brewing more poison. With his Bronze Rank alchemy skills and access to better ingredients, he could now create more refined versions of Serpent's Whisper.
He spent three hours creating twelve doses of Legendary-grade contact poison, enough to coat all his weapons multiple times and have backups.
Then he prepared his gear:
Poisoned Null-Steel Daggers (checked and re-coated) Fresh Guardian Amulet (25,000 gold - new one since the last was damaged) Wraith Cloak (repaired after the Von Drake fire damage - 5,000 gold) Four Platinum-grade healing potions Six Legendary-grade antidote potions (in case a target used poison against him) Three Emergency Escape Scrolls Detection ward disrupter (new purchase - 15,000 gold) Sound dampening charm (8,000 gold)
Total equipment investment: 78,000 gold just for this contract's preparation.
Other assassins would think he was insane spending that much. But Marcus knew better. Every gold piece spent on equipment was a gold piece invested in not dying.
He'd start hunting "The Surgeon" tomorrow, beginning with information gathering in the Lower District. Serial killers left patterns, and Marcus was good at finding patterns.
For now, he completed his nightly cultivation routine, absorbing three high-grade mana crystals.
BRONZE RANK - LOW STAGE: 41%
Good progress. At this rate, he'd reach Bronze - Mid Stage within a month through normal cultivation. Faster if he took more contracts and absorbed his targets.
Which raised an interesting question: was it ethical to absorb people's remains?
Marcus thought about it seriously for a moment, then decided he didn't care. His targets were murderers, slavers, and monsters. Turning them into cultivation resources seemed like poetic justice.
Besides, paranoia trumped ethics. Power kept him alive, and absorbing targets gave him power.
Simple equation.
Marcus reviewed his long-term goals:
Immediate: Hunt "The Surgeon", reach Bronze - Mid Stage Short-term: Reach Bronze - Peak Stage, earn 500,000 gold total wealth Medium-term: Advance to Silver Rank, become Silver Rank Alchemist Long-term: Reach Gold Rank, establish complete financial independence
Every goal designed around one central principle: never being vulnerable again. Never dying helplessly like he had in his previous world.
Paranoia as survival strategy. Preparation as lifestyle.
It was working so far.
Marcus lay down on his cot in the warehouse, still wearing his Bronze Rank badge. Tomorrow would bring new challenges, new dangers, new opportunities for advancement.
He'd face them all with poisoned blades, overwhelming preparation, and the cold calculation that had kept him alive this long.
After all, he'd died once already.
He wasn't going to let it happen again.