[Name: Anna Poliatova]
[Age: 22]
[Height: 178 cm]
[Skills: English Mastery LV4, Russian Mastery LV5, Infiltration & Disguise LV4, Close-Quarters Combat LV4, Firearms Mastery LV4, Driving Mastery LV3, Hacking LV3, …]
[Talents: Quick Learning LV4, Improvisation LV4, …]
[Defects: Early cocaine use has weakened physical condition beyond full recovery, habitual left-hand bag carry, below-average sensitivity to firearm weight, …]
Staring at the glowing panel that displayed Anna's details, Alex Cross's eyes lit up.
Her strength—though not at the level of John Wick—was still among the top tier in this world.
And beyond that, Anna's appearance and figure were both supermodel-caliber.
But Alex wasn't the type to lose himself at the sight of beauty.
Instead, after a brief pause, he waved her over.
"Master."
Anna responded swiftly, walking over in quick strides.
"What are your orders?"
"Go to the bar downstairs. Gather information on The High Table, and pick up a new phone while you're at it. Remember… no killing inside the hotel."
Alex handed her a gold coin.
"Yes, sir."
Anna accepted it respectfully and hurried toward the door.
Watching her leave, Alex called after her:
"And another thing… from now on, just call me Mr. Cross."
Without waiting for her reply, he focused his mind once more.
"System, open the Mall."
In the next instant, a massive panel floated before him.
On the left, five discounted items were displayed:
[1. Bulletproof Suits ×20: Kevlar-tailored suits from the John Wick universe (five years in the future). Auto-fit after first wear. Value: 2 coins (90% off).]
[2. Assassin Recruitment Scroll (White) ×10: Instantly summon ten entry-level assassins, no talents, identical skills. Value: 2 coins (80% off).]
[3. Intermediate Weapons Crates ×20: Each includes a SIG Sauer P320 pistol, Heckler & Koch MP5K-PDW submachine gun, and SOG S37K combat knife. Value: 4 coins (80% off).]
[4. Close-Quarters Combat LV3: A hybrid of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Mixed Martial Arts, and Chinese Sanda. Usable by Host and subordinates. Value: 10 coins (70% off).]
[5. Advanced Regeneration LV3: Special talent. Healing speed scales with injury severity, recovering within 24 hours. Usable by Host and subordinates. Value: 20 coins (90% off).]
Alex ignored the rest of the full-priced catalog.
With limited resources, it wasn't worth considering.
Still, even among the discounts, he could only afford the three cheapest items.
Checking his inventory, he muttered:
[Sand Coins ×8], [Free Discount Voucher ×1]
"Heh. So it left me with just enough for these three, huh?"
Complaints aside, Alex spent his 8 Sand Coins to purchase the 20 Bulletproof Suits, 20 Intermediate Weapons Crates, and 10 White Assassin Recruitment Scrolls.
As for the other two items, he wasn't in a rush.
The Mall would refresh in seven days.
Thirty coins—he could earn that in just one day tomorrow.
And with his Free Discount Voucher, he could still grab Advanced Regeneration LV3 without spending a dime.
Satisfied, Alex stood and entered the bathroom.
He stripped down, stepped under the shower, and turned on the water.
Just then, the sound of footsteps reached his ears.
Moments later, Anna's voice called softly through the door:
"Mr. Cross, it's me."
Before the words had fully fallen, Anna pushed the door open.
Moving naturally, she slipped off her clothes and walked toward him with seductive poise.
Picking up the body wash, she poured it into her palm and began rubbing it across his skin—while reporting her findings.
"I went to the bar downstairs and found a guide. From him, I learned more about The High Table. I also got hold of a new phone."
Alex didn't interrupt.
Eyes closed, he simply listened as she continued to scrub and brief him.
"The supreme authority of The High Table lies with the Elder. The institution itself is made up of twelve seats, each occupied by one of the world's most powerful crime families."
"They uphold strict, ancient rules. Violation draws the wrath of their enforcement branches. Adjudicators and Harbingers—those are their titles—command the Table's armed forces."
"Besides enforcement, there are administrative and service branches: Archives, Order Transfer, The Continental, corpse disposal, weapons procurement—all of which only accept their minted coins."
Kneeling gracefully before him, Anna finished with one last detail:
"From what I gathered, assassins fall into three categories: those serving under High Table families, private assassins tied to The Continental, and free-lance bounty hunters."