"Tsk tsk tsk, you dare come here even after being hunted by our Assassin Hall? You really have no fear of death."
Qi Xu was puzzled—had the station always been this empty? Not a single NPC in sight, and the room was completely bare, looking more like an abandoned warehouse than anything else.
Then the voice came. Only then did he notice the enormous black ice serpent coiled around the beam above.
The moment it realized Qi Xu had spotted it, the serpent lunged forward with terrifying speed, jaws gaping wide.
Foul-smelling drool dripped from its maw, the stench so overpowering that Qi Xu nearly gagged, doubling over in disgust.
Without hesitation, Qi Xu pulled out an oversized rainbow swirl lollipop from his backpack and shoved it—wrapper and all—straight into the serpent’s mouth.
The black ice serpent bit through the packaging, then paused as a faint sweetness touched its tongue. Almost instinctively, it chewed.
Only after swallowing did it register the awkwardness.
Trying to regain its composure, it hissed, "Human... you’re not afraid of me? Hmph. Bold."
"Afraid? Pfft. This is a safe zone—your assassins can’t attack here, and you can’t harm players either. Nowhere’s safer. Cut the act."
[Assassin Hall Leader Black Ice Serpent’s favorability toward you has increased by 5 points. Current favorability: 35.]
Qi Xu couldn’t help raising an eyebrow. This was the highest starting favorability he’d ever encountered from an NPC. Given his usual approach, he preferred not to antagonize these monster employees.
His earlier rudeness? Pure reflex—he’d been too overwhelmed by the stench to think straight. But surprisingly, the black ice serpent seemed to enjoy being insulted!
One insult later, and its favorability rose another 5 points.
Now Qi Xu understood.
"Human, why are you here? Our Assassin Hall’s kill order isn’t something you can just revoke. Thinking of begging for mercy? Dream on."
The serpent let out a dramatic laugh, clearly pleased with its own theatrics.
"Stop laughing—ugh, do you not realize how bad your breath is? Here, take some toothpaste and a toothbrush. Clean yourself up a bit. You’re running a business here—how can you expect customers when you smell like a dumpster?"
The serpent froze. "I... have no customers... because of my breath?"
"99.9% chance, yeah."
"...Oh. Thanks."
[Assassin Hall Leader Black Ice Serpent’s favorability toward you has increased by 5 points. Current favorability: 40.]
Qi Xu was starting to like this big black snake. The favorability boosts made no sense, and it was oddly polite—even saying "thanks" after being called stinky.
"Human, I told you—once a kill order is issued, the target has no choice. Leave."
"I’m here to spend money, not cancel anything. I was thinking of counter-killing ten people to become your VIP!"
The serpent’s eyes lit up. Gone was the lazy, menacing demeanor—now it straightened its spine, cleared its throat, and adopted an exaggeratedly sweet tone.
"Dearest honored guest, welcome to the Assassin Hall! I’m Ah Snake. How may I serve you today?"
Qi Xu shuddered. "Can you... talk normally?"
"Of course! Delighted to assist."
Ah Snake dipped its head in a practiced bow, flashing a smile and a wink in quick succession. Qi Xu had never seen anything like it.
"Show me your price list."
The once-ferocious black serpent had completely transformed. It retracted its icy aura, spat out a glowing pearl to illuminate the room, then carefully retrieved a tattered booklet with its teeth.
"Price list, hehe. Right here, take a look."
If it had hands, Qi Xu was sure it’d be rubbing them together eagerly.
He took the booklet gingerly, afraid even the slightest mishandling might reduce it to dust.
After scanning it, he finally understood why Ah Snake had no business. For the average player, these prices were outrageous.
[F-rank Assassin: 10 Survival Coins]
[D-rank Assassin: 100 Survival Coins]
[C-rank Assassin: 500 Survival Coins]
[B-rank Assassin: 800 Survival Coins]
[A-rank Assassin: 1000 Survival Coins]
[S-rank Assassin: 10000 Survival Coins]
Qi Xu realized Zhu Fu had been wrong—Xie Shaoning couldn’t possibly afford an S-rank assassin. No wonder he’d thrown a tantrum during the auction.
"Ah Snake."
"Yes, esteemed guest?"
"What rank were the assassins sent after me? Not that I’m prying into client confidentiality—just deciding between B-rank or A-rank for my own hires."
The serpent hesitated briefly. This isn’t leaking secrets—it’s sales strategy!
Qi Xu discreetly palmed 10 Survival Coins. "Open your mouth—looks like you’ve got something stuck in your teeth."
The moment the serpent obliged, Qi Xu tossed the coins inside.
Ah Snake’s eyes sparkled. A tip?!
Amazing! That little pink fox’s customer service seminar actually paid off!
No more hesitation. "The two assassins targeting you were both B-rank!"
"Got it. I’ll take two A-rank assassins, then."
Ah Snake nearly fainted from joy. "Absolutely, darling! Please input the target’s server ID and name here."
"Server ID too?"
"Of course! With so many players sharing names, killing the wrong one would be a workplace incident."
"Hold on."
Qi Xu quickly messaged Zhu Fu: "Do you know which server HappyEnding is on?"
Fortune God’s Only Daughter: "Wait, what? Did you get a cross-server challenge card from a loot box? Oh—the assassins were his doing! You’re at the Assassin Hall, hiring hitmen to retaliate?"
"Smart move. Little brats like him need to learn their lesson. Can’t win fair, so he resorts to cheap tricks."
"Let me think... He’s never changed servers. Should be Server 66, District 888. Oh wow, what are the odds? We’re Server 88, District 666!"
"Listen, this guy’s a big deal—he took the national rank one spot after our old team disbanded. Since you’re already enemies, might as well finish him off. Need me to chip in some Survival Coins? Honestly, I can’t even remember if I have beef with him too. Whatever, just kill him."
Qi Xu sent back a thumbs-up. "You guessed right, so I’ll skip the explanation. I’ve got enough coins."
Then he entered into Ah Snake’s system: "Server 66, District 888, Player HappyEnding."
..........
