Temple Bar.
Dim, gloomy lighting spilled out from every corner of the room. The bar itself resembled a shrunken temple, with alcohol-filled censers fitted with rows of burning candle wicks.
"Hahaha! I told you guys Vanda's a reliable guy who always repays his debts! And you didn't even believe me!"
Olga threw an arm around a slightly tipsy Putato, practically trying to force another shot of liquor down his throat before smugly pulling back the white jade flask to take a swig herself.
The two subordinates sitting next to them, both sipping fruit juice, looked at her in quiet exasperation. Rain rubbed her forehead and corrected her: "Big Sis, we literally never doubted him. Plus, you were the one talking smack about Vanda the whole way down the street just a second ago."
Mika chimed in as well, offering advice: "We still have commissions to finish tomorrow. Probably better if we don't drink too much tonight."
Olga instantly pretended she couldn't hear a single word. Pointing at the fruit juice in front of the two, she clicked her tongue in disappointment. "Vanda's a widely renowned high-grade Fixer, y'know! It's totally normal for our Office to host him a bit. If you two are gonna be party-poopers, go find something else to do. Putato's footing the bill anyway."
"Fine, fine. Just... try to watch your limit, Big Sis."
Rain let out an exhausted sigh, grabbed Mika by the arm, and got up to leave the private booth.
Drying his hair with a towel, Putato was still inwardly marveling at The City's instant laundry services. Being able to wash blood-soaked clothes clean in under fifteen minutes, and letting you squeeze in a hot shower while you waited, was honestly a top-tier local specialty.
A strong whiff of alcohol suddenly washed over him as Putato felt his right ear get enveloped by a warm liquid and a soft texture. The still-unhealed hole in his earlobe was being licked repeatedly. Frowning, he muttered, "Can you act normal for once? Stop licking there, it tickles."
"What's 'normal' even supposed to mean?"
Olga playfully flicked his ear, unbothered, leaving Putato unsure whether the liquid dripping from his ear down to his chin was booze or drool. "You're the one running around covered in blood in the middle of the night, that ain't normal. What's wrong with you, taking contracts this late?"
"Wait a second!"
Olga abruptly let go of his ear, swiftly straddling his lap. Cupping Putato's chin in her hands, she narrowed her eyes, her face twisted with a deep, lingering resentment as she spoke: "Don't tell me you're taking another commission tomorrow morning?"
"Yeah, a Liu Association contract. You know Section 1 Director Xiao, right? I only got this gig thanks to Salvador's recommendation, so I can't exactly flake out and hurt my reliability score."
"Ugh, so annoying! All you ever talk about is commissions, commissions, commissions! No talking about work tonight!"
Rolling her eyes, Olga took advantage of Putato's lapse in defense to rip off the bandages and Eye Wrap covering his face, immediately scrutinizing Putato's stern, sharp features up close.
"I keep telling you to just burn your face off and get it over with. Who's even gonna look at you when you're wrapped up in bandages all day?"
Reaching out, Olga swiped the pneumatic syringe from Putato's waist, flopped her entire weight onto his chest, and curiously pressed it against his cheek.
Putato figured he had probably kept up the persona of "Vanda the Fixer" so subconsciously that he never bothered using a Regeneration Ampule to fix the burn scars. But Olga had a point, normally, just wrapping some bandages around it was enough anyway.
The burn scars on the lower half of his face slowly began to smooth out under the treatment, prompting Olga to let out a whistle of amazement at how miraculous Regeneration Ampules really were.
"Ain't this actually pretty cute? To be honest, when I first heard about you, I figured the stuff under those bandages had to be super ugly or terrifying. I mean, who the hell walks around hiding their face all day? Turns out you're just into that edgy, contrast-heavy aesthetic."
"Where do you think your hands are wandering off to?"
Putato reached out and grabbed Olga's roaming right hand. Figuring it was about time to call it a night and get some rest to prep for tomorrow's commission, he suddenly got soaked as a glass of dark liquor was poured right over his head, completely ruining the clothes he had just dried off a minute ago.
"I actually do have a huge contract tomorrow."
"Tch. You're a Grade 3 Fixer, it's not like I'm chaining you down. Plus, isn't this pneumatic syringe of yours super useful for fixing stuff up?"
Pushing Putato back down before he could struggle to his feet, Olga got even bolder. "I wasn't even embarrassed the first time, so why are you dragging your feet? You're so insanely efficient and sharp at everything else, but when it comes to this, you're acting like a clumsy rookie Fixer fresh off the recruitment line."
"Listen, I'm gonna be the Pinnacle of The City. I don't have time to mess around with this."
Olga got up, tipped the bartender to reserve the private booth for the whole night, and slammed the door shut, locking it tight. "That's why I'm saying you're nothing like anyone else out there. Don't tell me you were overthinking marriage plans while I was nibbling on your earlobe? You gotta actually survive long enough to reach the top first, you know."
She cheerfully kicked off her shoes, shoving Putato back down onto the sofa just as he tried to prop himself up.
"I ain't the type to overthink things, and besides, don't act like you're not enjoying this."
Putato's thoughts were a total mess right now. For a second, he honestly didn't know how to react. After all, this wasn't like an assassination contract where you could just brute-force your way through it.
Everyone has their own social boundaries, much like beasts getting territorial when an outsider steps into their den. But his sense of personal boundaries had already been completely shredded by Elena and Yixin long ago. It was only right now that it finally clicked just how intensely intimate and ambiguous an act like kissing actually was.
And unlike everyone else, Olga wasn't demanding anything from him. She wasn't trying to scavenge flesh or money off his back; she just wanted to get close to him.
"Look, I only get free time like this once in a blue moon, so I guess I don't really have a choice, mph."
Putato, still hazy with alcohol, tried to keep talking, only to have his tongue tangled up by a kiss that choked off any further words.
"Well, then you can talk about it once you actually become the Pinnacle of The City! For now, just listen to me!"
...
A night that no one bothered to watch over.
Looking bright-eyed and refreshed, Olga tied her hair back into a single ponytail, then glanced smugly down at Putato, who was still sitting in a daze on the sofa, before teasing him: "The sun's up, aren't you going to go do your job? I can help you call in sick, you know."
"Nah, I'll just catch up to the frontline once the fighting kicks off."
Putato inspected the pneumatic syringe in his hand and peered out the window. Over half of its previous capacity was now down to less than a tenth. If he hadn't stopped her, an overly hyped Olga probably would've emptied the whole thing.
"Alright, alright. Stop making that existential 'meaning of life' face. Here, consider this a mental health consultation fee, since I was such a pain."
Olga flashed a mischievous grin as she pulled out a few high-denomination bills, folded them in half, and tossed them right onto Putato's chest. Without looking back, she unlocked the door and strutted out.
His communicator chimed.
"Vanda, Salvador says the designated stronghold commission is all wrapped up. If you're up for it, head over to Sector One right now."
"Got it."
Rubbing his temples, Putato stood up, stepped over the messy floor, and left the bar. Taking a deep breath of the fresh air lining the street finally helped clear his head a little.
"You sound like you're in pretty rough shape. Coming over in the afternoon is fine too, though by then we'll probably just be clearing out the ruins and street fighting."
Putato didn't answer right away. Instead, he found a nearby coffee shop and sat down, figuring he needed a moment to decompress. Showing up in his current state on the battlefield was practically asking to get killed.
"Thanks for your concern, Director Xiao. Just stayed up a bit late last night. I'll finish my breakfast and head right over."
Putato tilted his head back and drank the scalding hot coffee in one gulp, instantly feeling a burning sensation sear down his esophagus and throat. It made him realize his senses and emotions were still slightly out of sync.
"Try to check in before noon. I'm counting on you."
With that, Director Xiao hung up.
Putato let out a massive yawn. His brain was still foggy from the madness of last night, so he ordered another cup of coffee and started casually browsing his messages.
[ Lesti: Woo-hoo! My internship and exams are finally done. I got assigned to the Cleanup Crew, but why on earth does onboarding training include combat classes and physical augmentation? And why do they want me to take out a loan for the latter?! Sob...]
The communicator displayed Lesti wearing a blue W Corporation-branded cap, flashing a thumbs-up at the camera. She looked full of life, which brought a warm smile to Putato's face, prompting him to immediately wire over 1,000,000 Ahn.
If this weren't The City, someone as hardworking and optimistic as Lesti would probably be able to live a stable, happy life.
[ Lesti: Stop acting like you don't like me! Who just lends someone this much money out of nowhere? Wait... are you into that whole irresponsible sugar-daddy lifestyle or what?]
[ Putato: I'm just in a good mood. Plus, this is a loan, so don't even think about ghosting me.]
[ Olivia: Putato-ka! Look at my wood carving! It looks just like the real thing.]
The little girl kept spamming him with photos of her carving process. Every so often, you could catch a glimpse of her pale little hands or Katae's silhouette crouching in front of a computer desk in the background.
[ Putato: Not bad!]
Putting away his communicator, Putato suddenly stood up. Becoming the Pinnacle of The City wasn't just about fulfilling Khaji's dying wish, it was also about protecting the fragile, uncorrupted beauty still left in The City as he marched forward.
Sniff, sniff.
"Why do you smell so weird? How come you're always drinking with that woman? I think I ran into her last time, too."
Putato nearly jumped out of his skin. Spinning around, he realized Elena had materialized right behind him out of nowhere. She furrowed her brows, leaned in close to Putato's neck to take another sniff, and then pouted in annoyance, "Next time you drink with people, don't stand so close. I don't like you smelling like someone else."
"It's just socializing. Earlier today, I was catching up with the folks from Molar Office."
Watching Elena alternate between sniffing and frowning, Putato could only mumble something vague to brush it off. "By the way, what do you even do on a normal day? Just roam around jumping across rooftops?"
Without saying a word, Elena viciously yanked open the collar of Putato's bandages. Her expression darkened instantly as she stared fixedly at the still-faint red love bite on his skin, right over the spot she liked chomping on the most. "Which Bloodfiend has a death wish?! That's just gross!"
High-ranking Bloodfiends had insane control over blood. They could effortlessly draw blood straight from your veins without ever leaving a mark. But Elena genuinely preferred savoring Putato's flavor the old-fashioned, primitive way. Right now, her pale skin was practically rippling with agitated crimson auras out of pure rage.
"Will you calm down! I haven't even seen any other Bloodfiends!"
His wrist stinging from her grip, Putato tried his best to soothe an agitated Elena, only for her to frantically shove his shirt aside and start inspecting his body all over. "Hey, don't rip my shirt! I've actually got a commission to run right now."
"Who the hell did this?!"
"Gross? What's gross? Last night, my Office raided a Void Fist stronghold, this is just a minor scratch from the fighting."
Noticing Elena staring laser-holes into the mark on his neck, Putato started getting a headache. He honestly couldn't even remember when Olga had managed to leave that there.
That woman just up and left without giving me a heads-up!
"You're lying. Regeneration Ampules heal the body universally; it's physically impossible for just one mark to stubbornly stay behind!"
Gritting her teeth, Elena reached out with killing intent, pressing her face against Putato's neck and delicately scraping at the skin with her teeth until the bruise rapidly dissolved and faded away.
Watching a laser-focused Elena, Putato could only carefully coax her: "Let's talk later, okay? Director Xiao is still waiting for me. If I'm late, it's gonna be a huge pain trying to move up in the Liu Association."
"To hell with the Liu Association! I don't care! Aren't we best friends?!"
Getting a headache, Putato saw Elena spiraling even further out of control as dark red blood gradually surfaced across her skin. Panicking, he grabbed her and shoved her back deep into the shadows of the alleyway.
Don't let the arrogant attitude of the Backstreets' Syndicates fool you into thinking you can just run your mouth about anything out in the open. There are plenty of reckless psychos in The City willing to rat you out just for a bounty, sure, they might get hunted down and butchered later, but getting the cash right now is all that matters to them.
And the Hana Association aren't pushovers. Even though they looked completely stumped while chasing down the 'Grey Haze' incident, that was only because their primary target at the moment was still the Eight Chefs. The City always had plenty of higher-priority crisis dossiers sitting on their desks that made the Grey Haze case look mild by comparison.
"Elena! We're best friends, of course we are. But you gotta be careful not to blow your cover. You haven't fully recovered yet, and there's no way you'd survive a purge by the Hana Association."
Putato forced a smile as he gently stroked Elena's back, barely managing to make her lower her head and calm down.
"It was that woman from earlier, wasn't it?"
Hearing Elena grind out those rigid, icy words, Putato was about to explain when two slightly chilling hands gripped his neck. Her tightening grip immediately made it hard for Putato to breathe, and looking up, he saw the crimson blood-light flaring inside Elena's eyes.
"Listen to me very carefully, Putato. This is my territory! You are not allowed to let anyone else touch it!"
"Ugh."
Putato could only choke out a strained sound of acknowledgment, only to notice the blood-red glow in Elena's eyes burning even brighter. The hands around his neck squeezed even harder while her cold, frustrated voice rang in his ears: "You asked me what I usually do?"
"I'm a selfish Bloodfiend, so of course I'm jealous of every single inch of air around you! Because all of them get to touch you!"
"But we're good friends, and I don't want to show you a Bloodfiend's ugly, pathetic side! Obviously, I can't stay around too long either, because looking at those people just pisses me off, makes me want to choke the life out of every single one of them! But that doesn't mean I'm okay with just any stray cat or dog wandering into my space!"
THUD!
Elena finally dropped her hands, looking displeased. Gasping for air, Putato leaned against the wall, glanced at the time, and quickly offered an earnest apology: "I get it now. From now on, forget people, not even a mosquito's allowed to bite my neck. Even when I'm showering, I'll keep my bandages wrapped tight."
Seeing Elena's expression soften, Putato let out a massive sigh of relief. "And do me a favor, don't give Olga a hard time. She used to be my superior, and sometimes when people drink, they just get a little carried away."
Even though he wasn't trying to hide his relationship with Olga forever, an emotionally unstable Elena definitely wouldn't be able to process that right now. For all he knew, she'd transform into a Bloodfiend right on the spot and go hunt Olga down out of spite.
"Hmph. Back when I was all by myself, I never bothered holding back my impulses. I'm only doing this now because of you."
No sooner had she finished speaking than Elena turned on her heel and stormed off, looking furious.
Putato hurriedly called out to her retreating back: "Once I finish this contract, I'll take you out somewhere fun!" Just as she was about to turn the corner, Elena paused, glanced back at Putato over her shoulder, and let out a smug, satisfied little smirk.
...
Sector One.
Looking up at the shattered glass display window of a demolished Workshop, Putato stepped over a pile of broken bricks, feeling like this entire intersection looked like it had been hit by a bomb. He could even spot spent standard-issue rifle casings scattered across the ground.
"Vanda, over here!"
Crouched by the entrance of a high-nutrition food factory, Miris waved his hand to signal. Putato nodded and walked over, following Miris deep into the factory and down a flight of stairs into the underground assembly plant.
The processing assembly lines here had been shoved off to the side. Right in the middle was a makeshift long table, above which a projector beamed the blueprint of a massive fortress onto the ceiling. Putato tilted his head up to take a look.
Damn!
"What the hell is this?!"
Built beneath a desolate, crisscrossing overpass was a pyramid-shaped, all-steel main tower. Each of its four corners featured a round surveillance watchtower, while a massive 3D projection of the Void Fist flag fluttered proudly above the peak of the citadel.
Surrounding the outer perimeter of the fortress was a towering ring of metal defensive walls. The top of the ramparts was packed with searchlights and security cameras, and hugging the inside of the walls were expansive layers of electrified razor wire.
The only thing that looked remotely familiar to Putato was the dense, tangled maze of red iron staircases threading through the inner keep. This contraption was basically a super-sized, heavily fortified, industrial-grade version of their previous camp!
"Impressive visual, right? That's Void Fist's newly established southern headquarters camp. If they manage to successfully pull off this kind of operational layout on the east side of The City too, then I'm afraid the Five Fingers might just have to make room for a brand-new sixth pillar."
Miris didn't look surprised at all by Putato's reaction.
A large number of Liu Association Fixers were busy inspecting and polishing their weapons, but upon seeing Putato walk in, they all enthusiastically waved hello.
Director Xiao quickly arrived at the temporary meeting room accompanied by Chun. Seeing Putato, she gave a calm, measured nod. "Vanda, you've arrived just in time. I have a rather dangerous assignment for you."
Noticing Putato's inquiring gaze, Chun hurriedly chimed in to explain: "We discovered that behind Void Fist's southern sector, a motorized reinforcement convoy from the northern branch is heading this way. Obviously, we can't just let them waltz straight into the citadel unbothered. But trying to intercept that convoy by going around the fortress means we can't dispatch our main forces."
Got it. Translation: they needed a solo operative to cut off supply lines.
"No problem."
Putato's blunt, straightforward answer left Chun blinking in surprise. "This is a dynamic, unpredicted situation. If you intercept the convoy, you'll likely find yourself pinned down and flanked by reinforcements from the main fortress. Of course, our main forces will be launching a simultaneous assault on the citadel at the same time, but it's still extremely hazardous. The Director's intention wasn't to force you into it, but rather to ask for your professional assessment."
"Besides, Director Xiao believes you have the capability to pull it off."
Xiao didn't miss a beat as she picked up where Chun left off. "If you successfully complete this task, this contract will be officially added to your record as a high-priority feat. On top of that, I will personally sponsor and invite you straight into Section 1 of the Liu Association. I have the authority to grant this directly, no extra probationary exams or third-party guarantors required."
She glanced at Putato's bandage-wrapped face before adding, "Furthermore, all future rank promotions for you within the Fixer hierarchy will be expedited without any bureaucratic hurdles."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence. Looks like I don't really have a choice but to take this contract, then."