Chapter 7: The Black Contract, Section 10

“Whoa…”
Scalding hot water gushed forth from the basin, with intense steam filling the entire bathroom and turning it misty. In this space of over a hundred square meters, waves of heat surged continuously. The thick steam was so dense that one could barely see their own hands.
At such high temperatures, aside from certain special creatures, life might not even be possible.
“Huh…”
The black-haired man let out a long sigh, emerging from the water and leaning lazily to the side. On his resilient skin, fine beads of sweat resembled scattered diamonds, glowing faintly. His face, shaped like a marble statue, remained expressionless, seemingly unaffected by the scorching heat around him.
This was the bathhouse of the Creek Merchant Guild’s base, exquisitely decorated. Gems sparkled almost everywhere in the vast space. Around the large basin, dozens of lion head sculptures stood with their mouths open, spewing streams of crystal-clear water.
“100 days.”
It had been 100 days since the black-haired man arrived in this world. Yet the revival of his dormant body progressed slowly. His dantian remained empty, and his physique was only slightly stronger than that of an ordinary person. Although he still possessed experience and intuition, he could only fight relying on his modified left arm.
He hated that left arm more than anything.
“Turn off.”
At his command, the flowing water stopped instantly. The lion heads on the walls raised simultaneously, absorbing the hot steam. The area immediately became clear again.
The door opened silently, and a tempting-looking elven girl entered with her head lowered. Holding a set of bathrobes, she quietly knelt beside the black-haired man. Her bright eyes wandered freely over his strong physique, her beautiful face wearing an alluring smile.
These were maids assigned specifically to the black-haired man and his group by the Creek Merchant Guild. Each of them had one assigned, including Sulei.
Picking up the bathrobes and putting them on as he walked, the black-haired man didn’t even glance at the tempting elven girl, as if she didn’t exist at all. After passing through a corridor, he arrived in a spacious and luxurious hall. On the comfortable sofas in the hall, several figures already waiting for him hugged the elven girls.
It was Blood Eyes, Baroka, and the others.

“Hey, leader, this place is really great. That President Koko is such a good person—she arranged such a comfortable environment for us. Ah, champagne, fine wine. Beautiful girls. I really doubt my past days were wasted.” Baroka rubbed his hands over his sexy body while laughing loudly.

“What about your kids?” the black-haired man asked.

“They’re having fun outside. Leader, don’t worry. I’ve already asked them to take over the outside security. Compared to those worthless mercenaries, my kids will surely satisfy you. Trust me, each of them is an elite I trained personally. Though they may look a bit sloppy, their skills are top-notch.”

“Good.” A faint smile finally appeared on the black-haired man’s stern face.

“So, does our master have any plans?”

“None,” the blood-eyed man replied lazily. He was also holding a beautiful girl in his arms, but he didn’t make any moves, leaving the girl feeling awkward. She forced a seductive smile on her delicate face, but it looked uncomfortable no matter how you looked at it.

“Oh?” The black-haired man was surprised but nodded shortly.

It was clear that the so-called president of the Creek Merchant Guild was someone who aimed for big things. Although he had signed formal agreements with them, he wasn’t in any hurry to put them to use. Instead, he used various tactics to win them over, making them remember his kindness. Such tactics were probably the most effective even in Earth’s past world of intrigue. If the black-haired man was right, they were likely the least busy people in the Creek Merchant Guild during this time.

Of course, when they were needed, they would have to pay a price for this luxurious treatment.

“Alright.” The black-haired man became serious. Everyone present immediately stopped laughing and straightened up. Baroka even casually threw the elven girl he was holding aside as if she were useless trash, without any trace of reluctance.

In an instant, the atmosphere in the hall became solemn. The elven girl also obediently stepped back.

“Sulei, I’m giving you three days. I want to know the military strength and scope of all forces near this base… as well as the preliminary structure of the Silver Star Arms Market.” Seeing everyone become serious, the black-haired man spoke slowly.

“Understood,” Sulei nodded and began taking notes.

“Baroka, your task is to target the weakest forces after Sulei finishes her analysis. I can provide you with enough individual combat weapons, but you’re not allowed to use mechs.”

“Yes, leader.” Baroka replied loudly, a happy smile appearing on his fat face—until suddenly he seemed to remember something. “What if they use mechs?” “Impossible. This is the urban area of Silver Star. They’re just a small faction; they can’t afford to use mechs in battle. If your children are truly as skilled as you say, I doubt they have time to prepare any mechs. After the battle, I allow you to plunder, and you can distribute the loot as you wish.” “Understood, leader. Just wait and see.” Realizing what the dark-haired man meant, Baroka’s smile turned vicious, his fatty flesh trembling. For any sand bandit, such a task would be a dream come true—opportunities to plunder freely with the loot going to them personally. What could be more satisfying than that? As for how the Silver Star government or other factions would react after the plundering, Baroka didn’t care. After all, there was still the dark-haired leader above him. Even if that man died because of it, Baroka would be happy to see it happen. After Baroka disappeared from the doorway, the dark-haired man turned his gaze back to Blood Pupil. “As for you…” He pondered for a moment before picking up a glass of red wine. “Stay here and drink with me.” “Stop it…” Blood Pupil leaned lazily on the sofa, tapping the glass in the dark-haired man’s hand. “Don’t tell me you’ve assigned them tasks and left me behind. Boss, I know you. Just say what you want to do. As long as you don’t forget what you promised me.” “Heh.” The dark-haired man was amused by Blood Pupil’s resigned tone. “Just one mech—no big deal. Once Koko provides us with the resources, I won’t let you down. But before that, you need to accompany me to one place first.” “Where?” Blood Pupil was surprised. Somehow, he suddenly sensed that the dark-haired man might have ulterior motives. “The assassin guild of Silver Star.” “What? How do you know about that place?” Blood Pupil froze, then sat up abruptly, his expression shifting rapidly. Seeing the dark-haired man’s indifferent attitude, he finally sighed. “Boss, I don’t know where you got information about that place. But since you know it, you must understand its rules. It’s fine for me to go in alone, but bringing you along would likely be taboo.” “Is that so? Even if I’m going there to do business?”

“Business negotiations are naturally an exception. But there’s no need to go directly inside the guild. The guild has a dedicated area for receiving guests. However, I know you want far more than that, boss.” Bloodshot Eyes hesitated slightly.

But obviously, Black Hair had no such concerns. After taking a small sip of the red wine in his cup, he raised his head and stared at Bloodshot Eyes. “For now, that’s indeed all I ask for. But it’s hard to say in a while. Bloodshot Eyes, what procedures are needed to register an identity in the assassin guild?”

“A reference, a capability test, a deposit, and an agent. If possible, one also has to complete a verification task,” Bloodshot Eyes listed them effortlessly.

“Then it’s simple.” Black Hair drained the red wine in his cup and stood up. “Show me the way.”

No one could change Black Hair’s decision. Although Bloodshot Eyes was still hesitant, he had no choice but to obey. So, an hour later, they arrived in front of a towering building. After Bloodshot Eyes showed his license to the guards, the staff immediately led them to a reception room.

It was a room decorated in a very simple and elegant style, about ten square meters in size, with only a sofa inside. Due to the lack of light, the room appeared somewhat dim. The lights on the walls flickered slightly, stretching their shadows long.

“Pretty nice place. I just wonder when the owner will arrive.” Black Hair glanced around before sitting down on the sofa. Bloodshot Eyes stood behind him immediately.

“He’s already here,” Bloodshot Eyes replied.

As if in response to his words, before the sound faded, the lights on the walls flickered suddenly, and a shadow with an indistinct face appeared right in the middle of the room. A hooded robe covered him completely. His quiet presence gave the impression that he had always been there.

The assassin guild’s way of making an entrance was truly unique. Such a mysterious and sudden appearance, combined with the surrounding environment, easily made visitors feel a sense of dread. Perhaps it was more suitable for them to conduct business? Black Hair thought to himself, though a gentle smile appeared on his face.

“Hello, esteemed guest. What can I do for you?” Black Hair’s voice sounded like grinding gears, eerie and unsettling.

“I want to hire thirty assassins,” Black Hair replied calmly, without any courtesy.

“For a mission?” The shadow swayed slightly, seemingly pondering something.

“No, be my direct subordinate. I need people to help me with some things that shouldn’t be exposed to light.” The black-haired person shook their head, dismissing the shadow’s question.
Seemingly troubled by the black-haired person’s request, the shadow didn’t answer right away. After a moment of silence, it slowly said, “No, that’s impossible!”