[Codename: Puppet Master]
[Rank: Rookie]
[Mission Success Rate: 0%]
These three stats, codename, rank, and mission success rate, are the killer's calling card on the dark web.
There are countless rookie assassins like Gabriel flooding the site, each trying to climb the ranks.
Completing assignments raises both your level and credibility, which in turn unlocks higher-paying and more complex contracts.
On this platform, every mission comes with a deadline. Fail to complete the job on time, and it's considered a failure. No second chances. Once a mission is failed, it's gone forever.
Unlike low-level assassins, high-tier killers with strong track records get longer prep times.
Take Gabriel, for instance, he's still a rookie. If he accepts a job, he might have only five days to complete it. But a veteran assassin with a gold ranking might get ten days for the exact same assignment.
And those extra days? They can mean the difference between success and failure.
There's also the matter of fees. The platform takes a cut of every bounty. However, as your rank increases, the percentage deducted decreases. It's one of the many perks of rising through the ranks.
But for now, none of that matters to Gabriel.
After inputting his location, the website's geolocation algorithm began listing local targets in Gravemont City.
[Bounty: $1,000,000 – Target: Walter Freeman, CEO of Stonegate Properties]
[Elimination Requirements: No restrictions]
[Minimum Rank: Iron-Level Assassin]
...
[Bounty: $2,300,000 – Target: Howard Sten, General Manager of Northview Villas]
[Elimination Requirements: No restrictions]
[Minimum Rank: Silver-Level Assassin]
...
[More listings below...]
Within Gravemont City, there were about seven or eight available contracts, all with enticing payouts.
Unfortunately, most of them were out of reach. Gabriel's rank was simply too low to qualify.
Then, just as he scrolled to the bottom of the task list, something unusual caught his attention.
A contract with no level requirement.
[Bounty: $5,000,000 – Target: Thomas Lin, Chairman of LinTech Group]
[Elimination Requirement: Must appear to be an accidental death as determined by police]
[Minimum Rank: None]
Gabriel's eyes lit up.
Thomas Lin, everyone in Gravemont knew that name.
As the head of LinTech Group, Lin was worth billions and wielded tremendous influence across the city.
But his reputation? Far from clean.
Whispers of illegal dealings had followed him for years. At one point, there was even a major public scandal. But somehow, it all disappeared, swept under the rug. The consensus? Thomas Lin had friends in very high places.
In every way, this was the kind of target that aligned perfectly with Gabriel's own code.
However, unlike most contracts on the dark web, this one came with particularly strict conditions.
The target, Thomas Lin, had to die in a way that appeared completely accidental... no sign of foul play, no evidence of murder.
As a billionaire executive, Lin was under constant protection, flanked by bodyguards around the clock. An ordinary person couldn't even get within arm's reach.
For someone so well-guarded to die in an "accident"? Nearly impossible.
Gabriel knew this wouldn't be easy.
He didn't rush to accept the assignment. Each contract came with a timer, accept it too early, and you risk damaging your reputation if you fail to meet the deadline.
Before anything else, Gabriel needed to find out if Thomas Lin was truly deserving of death.
Never kill the innocent. Only purge the wicked.
That was Gabriel's unshakable code.
So he turned to the internet, digging for any public dirt on Lin. It didn't take long.
Terms like organized crime, embezzlement, and money laundering surfaced in article headlines and forum threads.
Gabriel wasn't surprised, just disappointed. A man who looked polished in public hid a dark trail behind closed doors.
Where there's smoke, there's fire, as the saying goes.
As Gabriel dug deeper, he uncovered even more personal details.
First: Thomas Lin lived in excess. A notorious art collector, he flaunted his wealth through his social media accounts, posting photos of priceless paintings, ancient relics, and extravagant décor from around the world.
Second: his private life was a scandal in itself. Gabriel learned that Lin was romantically involved with at least four actresses, each one a rising star.
Meanwhile, his actual marriage had long since fallen apart. According to reports, he and his wife were in a cold war, barely speaking.
But what intrigued Gabriel most was how public Lin's affairs were. He didn't even try to hide them.
On each of the actresses' birthdays, Lin would send high-end gifts and post about it online drawing attention without a care.
It was in that moment that a plan began to take shape in Gabriel's mind.
A strategy that would allow him to infiltrate Lin's world without raising suspicion.
He headed to his workshop and pulled out a block of fine wood from storage.
Then he began to carve.
As a Puppet Master, a craftsman of living dolls, Gabriel had complete confidence in his skill.
He sculpted, hollowed, painted.
Using the traditional mortise-and-tenon technique, he assembled the parts with masterful precision.
Before long, a beautifully crafted wooden box emerged... elegant and meticulously made.
Gabriel gently placed his Dream Doll inside, then sealed the box and wrapped it with care.
As he held the finished piece in his hands, a quiet pride swelled within him. The box looked like a high-end luxury gift, tasteful, intricate, and timeless.
Just like a masterpiece.
A small smile appeared on his previously calm face as he admired his meticulous work.
"I hear you're hard to reach, Thomas... Let's test that."