Chapter 2330: Chapter 2330 Mission Accomplished
"All these are priced missions. After eliminating the targeted persons, it is up to the Stygian to decide whether or not to grant us what we desire."
"Is the price tag in high-grade Spirit Crystals? Also, what is the significance of the last digit? Why are they all in number two?" Ye Liuyun probed further.
"All the prices marked here are in high-grade Spirit crystals. The number at the end represents the assassin’s reward points. The higher the points, the more resources an assassin will earn for future missions!" Yu Yao explained further.
"How many points have you accumulated so far?" Ye Liuyun asked Yu Yao.
"No more than thirty at most. But I’ve already traded them all for resources!" Yu Yao confessed sheepishly.
"That is impressive."These targets aren’t exactly easy to knock down," Ye Liuyun reflected. Getting points wasn’t simple. He evaluated the strength of a skilled martial practitioner, such as Lion Slayer. Since killing one of them only netted two points.
Yu Yao did not mince words and informed Ye Liuyun straight up. "There are easier assignments that offer one point. It is much simpler than dealing with these targets. The reason these targets have higher points is mainly because they’re hard to track down. Otherwise, for a professional Stygian assassin, eliminating them would be a breeze."
"However, for seasoned assassins, it’s just not worth the effort. Two points per kill? That’s way too low!"
"So, how do we collect our bounty for killing Lion Slayer?" Ye Liuyun suddenly thought of this and had Lan Xin retrieve the Lion Slayer’s corpse.
The Lion Slayer’s virtuoso had already been retrieved and handed to the Dragon Lady. His body had been preserved in a dedicated storage inside the Interspatial Ring intended for Devil Clans and Devil Beasts’ consumption.
Sighing, Lan Xin was forced to pull it out once more.
"To formally become a hired assassin for the Stygian, one only has to present the target’s head!" Ye Liuyun was incredibly fortunate to secure a ready-made kill right away, something Yu Yao hadn’t anticipated.
Ye Liuyun took his time presenting the corpse. He planned to initiate a negotiation with the representative.
Just then, a middle-aged man pushed the door open and entered, greeting them with polite courtesy.
"My apologies for keeping you waiting! Which one of you is the newcomer?" the old man asked directly.
Ye Liuyun observed the elderly guy standing before him. He didn’t exhibit any of the telltale signs of an assassin, his face beamed with life and vigour.
"I am," Ye Liuyun replied respectfully as he bowed slightly.
"No need for the formalities," the old man returned the gesture before motioning for Yu Yao to wait outside.
"All operations conducted here are strictly confidential," the elderly man clarified. "You are free to reveal anything you like after the job is done. But before that, you need to follow the etiquette."
"No problem," Ye Liuyun answered with a pleasant tone. "Please, be as specific as possible. I don’t know the regulations here and would very appreciate it if you could detail them to me."
"Very well," the elderly man said as he began to explain.
"Our assassins fall into two categories. The first group operates on a freelance basis. We provide the target, the payment, and the deadline. The assassin carries out the task and collects the reward upon presenting proof of completion."
"Neither the assassin’s oath nor contract is necessary. We will provide you with our insignia for convenient access."
"The second group is a Stygian direct operative. We don’t send our people to die. We give you assignments that are organically tailored to your strengths. However, danger is inevitable."
"You must first sign an equal-soul Divine Soul contract with us and acquire at least 100 merit points to be eligible. This ties you to secrecy, guarantees your devotion, and enables us to track your location for mission assignments."
"There is a certain number of tasks, graded by difficulty, that you must complete annually. We will provide you with the training, assistance, and a guaranteed income. The loot you earn on your missions is entirely yours."
In anticipation of Ye Liuyun’s enquiries, the elderly man halted.
"Can a direct operative refuse given assignments?" Ye Liuyun asked.
"Definitely," the old man confirmed. "We don’t verify identities. You may use an alias or codename. Some missions may conflict with personal interests. Hence, refusal is permitted."
"However, the Divine soul contract prevents you from sharing mission details with anyone. Not even to your family."
"What happens if I fail a mission?" Ye Liuyun inquired.
"The targets are publicly listed. Whoever completes them first gets the credit. If a hired assassin fails, it’s no big deal. We’ll just give the reward to the one who succeeded. But for the direct operative who took the mission, failing once means a deduction of a hundred points."
Maintaining a constant tone, the elderly guy went on. "If their score drops below a hundred, we won’t assign them new tasks until they earn their way back up. Our assassins here might perish on missions, but never by our hands."
Out of astonishment, Ye Liuyun cocked his head slightly. "Without punishment, wouldn’t the assassin bail their mission anytime they please?"
The old man chuckled, his eyes glinting. "They won’t when the reward is tempting enough."
The elder man wouldn’t reveal the whole truth to Ye Liuyun because he wasn’t one of their direct operations just yet. However, judging by his confident tone, Ye Liuyun reckoned the rewards must be substantial.
"Not bad," he thought to himself. "Making an extra income as I do my own thing sounds like a fantastic offer."
"Can this rule be written into the deal contract?" Ye Liuyun asked.
"Sure!" The elderly man chuckled. "But you’re getting ahead of yourself. Perhaps try focusing on reaching your first hundred points."
After giving a subtle nod, Ye Liuyun enquired about the proper protocols for handing over targets and exchanging resources.
"Can I eliminate those targets on the wall if I encounter them in the secret realm?" he said with a hint of determination.
"You mean while on the streets? Well, yes. Just explain it to the enforcers afterwards," the old man confirmed.
Without hesitation, Ye Liuyun retrieved the severed head of the Lion Slayer from his Interspatial Ring and handed it over for verification.
"Ran into him on my way here. He tried to rob me. Figured I’d keep the body just in case. Didn’t expect it’d complete a mission by accident," he explained casually.
The elderly man raised an eyebrow, clearly not anticipating Ye Liuyun to arrive with a head in claim.
Keeping the polite smile on his face, he said, "No need to reveal the detail. How you did it, or what it cost you, are not a concern here. Results are all that matter. Here, take your pick from these tokens."
The old man presented an array of items before Ye Liuyub. Emblems, weapons, and treasures. Each bearing the insignia of a black spider.
"These are only for the sake of discretion," the elderly guy claimed. "The symbol can be infused into your weapon, or you can keep it in its current form and carry it around."
Instead of complicating matters, Ye Liuyun picked out a black spider token and stored it in his Spatial World.
"These markings only offer you entrance to the Stygian’s Secret Realm across different places," the elderly man said before they parted ways. " You need to return here in person if you wish to collect your prize."
