The moment a ninja is summoned and manifested through an activated battle slot, they become a living, breathing entity in the Marvel world.
Anime characters crossing over into reality!
Aside from the single initial battle slot granted at the start, each additional slot must be unlocked with gold coins. Over the course of three years, every coin Leon Foster earned through daily check-ins had been invested into unlocking battle slots, and he only managed to unlock two more.
With three fully manifested ninja, including himself, Leon could form a three-plus-one team. If he had enough battle slots, he could bring every recruited ninja into the Marvel world.
These manifested characters retained their intelligence, yet were 100% loyal to the summoner. Without such unwavering loyalty and the inability to harm him, Leon wouldn't dare summon them into reality—some of these ninjas were infamous for their wild and unpredictable behavior.
As for summoning techniques, Leon had only unlocked the ninja dogs so far. The more powerful summons—blue snakes, toads, even tailed beasts—remained out of reach. He hadn't even maxed out the ninja dog training yet.
Still, he was close. A little more prestige and he'd max out the dogs and unlock the next summon: the blue snake.
After checking his personal stats, Leon downed the last sip of his whiskey and lay on the bed to drift off to sleep.
...
The next morning.
After breakfast at the Continental Hotel, Leon was lounging in the lobby. His secretary, Ms. Ginny, had been sent ahead to their agency office.
From his seat in the lobby, Leon noticed a man dragging a suitcase toward the front desk. His steps were steady, but his face was grim, emanating a murderous aura. It was clear this man had taken several lives the night before. He resembled a volcano on the verge of erupting.
"Hey! John," Leon called, raising his hand in greeting.
He'd crossed paths with John Wick several times before. Thanks to his summoning hound, they'd met while walking their dogs. They'd even exchanged contact info. John once called him for advice on raising the puppy his wife had given him.
They were casual acquaintances—dog lovers, at the very least. So when John saw Leon here at the Continental, it startled him. He hadn't expected Leon to be a hotel-sanctioned assassin.
John had been retired for four years now after leaving the hitman world following his wife's death. He'd cut ties with nearly everyone at the Continental. He had no idea what Leon actually did.
Caught off guard, John still nodded and said, "Leon, I'm checking in."
Leon stepped forward, stopping about a meter in front of him. "Looks like you're in trouble. Someone's put a $2 million bounty on your head. Need a hand? I only charge one Contract Crest."
Leon knew this situation was a serious hassle for John, but helping him out for a single Contract Crest was a great deal. An easy favor for a valuable token.
John didn't react to the bounty. After killing the assassins who'd come for him last night, he expected his enemies to escalate. Calmly, he replied, "Not for now. But if I need anything, I'll call you."
"Alright. Reach out anytime," Leon replied.
He wasn't bothered by the refusal. Trouble was bound to come John's way again. He figured he'd still get his chance to step in—maybe even save John's life at a critical moment. That kind of debt could be very valuable.
John continued toward the front desk. Just then, a beautiful female assassin, having just checked in, looked back and greeted him.
"Good to see you again, John."
"Likewise, Perkins," John replied.
After their quick exchange, John completed his check-in and left the lobby.
Leon remained seated, slowly sipping his coffee.
The real action would begin tonight.
...
Night fell.
In the Continental Hotel's underground bar, Leon and Ginny sat in a booth near the entrance, sipping bourbon whiskey.
"Leon, the bounty on John Wick has risen to four million dollars—four gold coins," Ginny whispered the latest intel into his ear.
Leon simply raised his index finger and wagged it, indicating he wasn't interested.
"I've got a better plan," he replied.
Leon saw great potential in John Wick. Though technically a 'normal human,' his strength, precision, and fearlessness earned him the nickname Night Demon. If Leon could get him onboard as an ally or subordinate, it would be a huge boost during his early operations.
His three ninja were strong, yes, but he was still short-staffed. There were limits to what he could accomplish alone.
As they spoke, the bar doors opened. John Wick walked in.
Leon waved again. "Hey, John!"
John looked up, spotting Leon and Ginny, then glanced around and noticed Winston sitting in a booth.
He approached Leon. "Good evening, Leon."
"John, your bounty just doubled—$4 million and four gold coins. You sure you don't want my help? Some of the new players aren't exactly playing by the rules."
John frowned slightly. As a veteran assassin, he understood the implications of someone offering unsolicited help—there was always a catch. Leon clearly had his own agenda. And John wasn't eager to dive back into the dark underworld he'd left behind. This was personal, not business.
Still, the doubled bounty and the gold coin reward told him the situation was escalating quickly.
He knew other assassins would come for him.
Confident in his own abilities, John politely declined. "I can still handle it."
With that, he turned and headed toward Winston's booth. There were questions that needed answers—and he had a score to settle.