"Business trip!"
The words left his mouth.
Instantly, his vision went black, then flared bright again. Dexter found himself standing on a curb, directly across the street from the entrance of a towering building in New York City.
The famous Continental Hotel.
Dexter grinned, muttering the name silently.
Just then, the text floated into his vision.
[Welcome to the world of John Wick.]
[Establishing Identity...]
[Identity Established: You are an assassin under the High Table.]
[High Table information downloaded.]
[Current Timeline: The beginning of the first movie.]
[Mission 1: Collect 500 High Table Gold Coins. (Spending coins does not decrease your collection count).]
[Mission 2: Kill at least one person inside the New York Continental Hotel.]
[Mission Rewards: Mission 1 grants 100,000 Karma Points. Mission 2 grants 200,000 Karma Points.]
[Friendly Reminder: Treasure Chest contents have adapted to the current world. Additionally, skills and items obtained in the Shameless world remain usable as they do not conflict with this reality.]
[Have a pleasant game.]
The notifications ended.
That was a lot of text.
Dexter read through it and gave it some serious thought.
Alright.
Mission 2 wasn't too hard. Kill someone and run... sure, the entire High Table would hunt him down immediately after, declaring him Excommunicado, but hey, logic checks out. Not a huge problem.
Mission 1, however... that was a headache.
Five hundred gold coins?
Getting his hands on that kind of capital...
Dexter rubbed his temples, brainstorming.
He knew where coins were stash. John Wick had a few hidden in the New York Public Library. There were easily a few hundred buried under the concrete in Wick's basement. Viggo Tarasov—the guy whose idiot son was about to ruin everything—definitely had plenty.
So, rob John Wick? Or rather, burgle him?
Is it feasible?
Seems feasible.
The story was just starting. John Wick's wife, Helen, had likely just passed away. Tomorrow, John would be at the funeral. The house would be empty.
Bring a sledgehammer, smash the basement floor, grab the loot, and bail. The chances of getting caught were low. Very low.
The problem was...
He actually liked John Wick. Doing him dirty like that felt wrong.
Dexter mulled it over.
He decided to shelf that plan for now. If he really needed to steal, he could always do it later when John was out hunting down Iosef.
So, if he wasn't stealing...
Scavenge? Follow behind John Wick like a vulture? John kills them, Dexter loots the pockets?
A lot of people were going to die in this world very soon. Assassins usually carried a few coins on them for emergencies. In this underworld, gold was worth a hell of a lot more than the US dollar.
Could that work?
Worth a shot. It sounded kind of fun, actually.
Any other methods?
None for now.
Fine.
First things first. Head to the New York Public Library and secure some startup capital.
Decision made. Dexter patted his pocket and checked his waist. The cash and the pistol from the previous world had made the jump with him. He stepped to the curb and hailed a cab.
On the way.
Dexter continued to ponder how to play this world.
The missions were important, sure. He'd try to complete them.
But the missions weren't everything.
Since he was here, having fun was the priority.
That was the main reason he put a pin in the "Rob John Wick" plan. This world was interesting. Being enemies with John Wick just for a mission was way less entertaining than teaming up with him to flip the High Table the bird.
Maybe I can start a revolution in this world.
The thought suddenly crossed his mind.
Just thinking about it got him excited.
---
New York Public Library, Second Floor.
It took about twenty minutes of searching.
Dexter found it.
Russian Folk Tales, by Alexander Afanasyev.
He flipped through it, found the page with the sticker, and peeled it back.
Click.
The secret compartment revealed itself.
Inside were five gold coins, a rosary necklace symbolizing John Wick's past with the Ruska Roma, and a Marker—a blood oath medallion.
Seeing the props from the movie right in front of his eyes...
Badass.
Dexter smiled silently. He took four of the gold coins and slid them into his pocket. He picked up the fifth one and examined it closely.
The coin had weight to it—a heavy, satisfying density. It was exquisitely crafted. The face bore the emblem of the High Table, surrounded by Latin inscriptions.
After admiring it for a moment, Dexter pocketed the last coin. He studied the rosary and the Marker.
A few minutes later.
He left the necklace and the Marker, resealed the sticker, put the book back on the shelf, and walked away.
He exited the library and hailed another taxi.
"The Continental," Dexter said to the driver.
"Yes, sir," the driver replied, his tone taking on a hint of respectful recognition.
The taxi pulled up to the entrance of the Continental Hotel.
As soon as it stopped, a doorman in a sharp coat stepped up and opened the car door.
Dexter paid the fare, got out, and took three strides through the revolving doors, officially entering the New York Continental.
He took in the sight.
The hotel was luxurious, drenched in a distinct, heavy retro aesthetic.
The blend of opulence and old-world atmosphere was unique.
The lobby was populated with people standing or sitting in hushed conversation.
Dexter scanned the room as he walked, a question popping into his head: Are there any actual civilians in here, or is everyone a hitter?
A few people eyed Dexter, the new face.
He noticed but didn't care. He didn't break stride, walking straight to the front desk and smiling at the man behind the counter.
Charon.
"Good afternoon, sir," Charon greeted him, his expression professional and unreadable.
"Good afternoon," Dexter smiled back. He pulled a gold coin from his pocket and slid it across the marble surface. "I need a room."
Charon remained impassive as he reached out and collected the coin. "Certainly. How long will you be staying?"
"Not sure yet. Maybe a week."
"Very good," Charon replied. No unnecessary questions. He produced a heavy key. "Room 508."
Dexter took the key, nodded, and headed for the elevator.
The room was spacious, about 400 square feet, and decorated with the same classic luxury. It faced the street.
Dexter lit a cigarette, did a quick sweep of the room, and then stood by the window, looking out.
Nothing special outside.
The hotel's location was dense; surrounded by other buildings, there wasn't much of a view.
After watching the street for a while, Dexter sat in the armchair and summoned the System.
First, he retrieved the bulletproof suit he'd won from a chest back in the Shameless world.
Then, it was time to open some new chests.
He needed a car, he needed guns, and he needed skills.
Otherwise, this world was going to be way too dangerous.
[You opened a Silver Chest. Congratulations, you received: The Mozambique Drill (Professional Level).]
[You opened a Silver Chest. Congratulations, you received: Combat Experience (Assassin Class - One Year).]
[You opened a Silver Chest. Congratulations, you received: A 1969 Ford Mustang.]
[You opened a Silver Chest. Congratulations, you received: A Beretta 92F Pistol with Infinite Ammo.]
Jackpot.
No time to waste.
Let's roll.
Time to go find John Wick's house.