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As Zak lay on the bed, the system continued its lecture about improving aiming accuracy and advanced combat techniques. But after a long day of training and missions, Zak couldn't resist any longer.
His eyes gradually closed, and the system's voice became distant noise before he suddenly drifted into sleep.
The system paused for a moment, then said mockingly, "Really? He fell asleep that easily? I was talking about something important here!"
It then let out a digital sigh and added, "Well, at least he won't bother me with his dumb questions now."
Silence filled the base, with only the steady sound of Zak's breathing audible, while the transparent screen in front of him continued displaying his stats, waiting for the next day to resume his journey in Gotham.
—
Zak woke up to the sharp sound of an alarm ringing in his head, with a flashing red light appearing in the corner of his vision. He felt a headache for a moment before realizing the situation was serious.
A large red screen appeared in front of him, displaying:
"Warning! Intruders in the base!"
"Number: 12"
"Suggestion: Mandatory extermination"
Zak quickly sat up on his bed, gritting his teeth. "What? Who the hell are these bastards?!"
The system responded in a cold yet eager tone, "A group of thugs who thought your base was a good place to mess around or maybe steal… a huge mistake."
Taking a deep breath, Zak jumped out of bed and headed straight for his armory. "Alright, let's welcome them properly."
He opened the storage room and grabbed his twin pistols, Ebony & Ivory, then summoned his dagger in case of close combat. "System, where are they now?"
A map of the base appeared on the screen, showing red dots moving through the main hallway of the theater and some of the side rooms.
The system spoke with a sarcastic tone, "Oh, they're strolling around comfortably, as if they're on a field trip… Good thing that's about to change."
Zak's eyes narrowed as he loaded his pistols. "Time to clean up this trash."
He moved silently toward the nearest red dot, fully prepared for combat.
Zak moved through the base like a ghost, his footsteps gliding over the floor soundlessly, his grip firm around his dagger. The dim lighting cast flickering shadows, making his movements even harder to detect.
Reaching the main hallway, he spotted the first man standing by a table, flipping through some papers. Zak didn't give him a chance to react—he moved swiftly, clamping a hand over the man's mouth to muffle any noise, then drove his dagger into his throat with a clean, fluid motion. The body went limp in his grip, and he quickly dragged it behind the table, keeping it out of sight.
"One down."
He turned toward the corridor, where he heard another man mumbling angrily about poor organization. His target stood with his back against the wall, smoking a cigarette while scanning the hallway.
Zak didn't hesitate. He tossed a small metal piece to the opposite side, drawing the man's attention for a brief second. In that moment, Zak dashed forward, stabbing him in the side before dragging the blade upward to sever a major artery. The man collapsed, struggling to scream, but Zak covered his mouth until he stopped moving.
"Two down."
Zak moved toward the storage room, where he found two more men speaking in hushed voices. There was no space for fancy maneuvers, so he slipped through the shadows until he was right behind one of them. With a swift motion, he plunged his dagger into the base of the man's skull. Before the second could even process what was happening, Zak drove the blade straight into his heart before he could let out a scream.
"Four down."
He heard heavy footsteps near the back entrance. There, one of the men stood, staring at his phone, completely unaware of the massacre happening around him. Zak didn't hesitate—he lunged forward, wrapped his arm around the man's throat, and choked him tightly while stabbing his dagger into his chest. The body collapsed motionless.
"Five down."
Zak stood in the corner, watching the last man in this area. The thug glanced around suspiciously at the dark hallways, sensing something was off. But before he could warn the others, Zak emerged from the shadows, yanked him back swiftly, and slit his throat.
"Six down."
But unfortunately… he wasn't fast enough to silence the man completely. With a choked gasp, the dying thug let out a final, desperate cry, "He's here! He—!"
Within moments, the remaining six thugs rushed toward the source of the scream, weapons drawn, their eyes scanning the area for the unseen enemy who had already wiped out half their numbers.
"Well, since you all decided to come together…"
Zak stashed his dagger away, then rolled his shoulders and tilted his neck, letting out a light cracking sound. He smirked confidently and took a fighting stance.
"Let's dance."
The six men charged at him all at once, unleashing a hailstorm of bullets.
Zak had no time to think. The moment the gunfire started, he leaped to the side, taking cover behind an overturned table. Bullets shredded through the wood and the air around him, but he remained calm. Gripping his Ebony & Ivory pistols, he quickly fired his first shot at the closest enemy.
But the bullet didn't hit the head as he had aimed—it pierced the man's shoulder instead, causing him to stagger back with a scream. Zak clicked his tongue in frustration.
"Still need to work on my accuracy…"
Moving swiftly, he emerged from cover for just a second, firing three consecutive shots—one hitting a thug's leg, another striking his stomach, but the third completely missing. He dashed to another cover point, breathing deeply.
"Now I see why the system wants me to use this as an opportunity to test my aim."
As the enemies reloaded their weapons, Zak seized the moment. He sprinted forward, then slid across the floor, firing two shots at one of the men. The first bullet tore through his thigh, while the second struck his neck, dropping him instantly. But there was no time to celebrate—another thug fired at him, forcing Zak to roll to the side to escape the barrage of bullets.
"This isn't a video game—mistakes cost me my life."
One of the attackers raised his rifle to shoot at Zak, but he jumped back, firing a quick shot at the man's knee, sending him crashing to the ground. However, he wasn't dead—he tried to lift his gun again. Zak quickly rushed forward and delivered a powerful kick to his face, knocking him unconscious.
"That's better. Just because I use firearms doesn't mean I should stop hand-to-hand combat."
Four enemies remained, now much more cautious. They advanced slowly, trying to surround him. Zak took a deep breath, then seized a moment of silence. He leaped over a table and fired two shots mid-air. The first struck one of them in the chest, but the second wasn't strong enough to finish him off. Zak quickly turned and fired another round at his head, ending him.
"More confirmed hits… but I'm still wasting some bullets."
There was no time to analyze further. One of the men rushed him, aiming to punch him. Zak dodged the strike, then countered with a sharp elbow to the jaw, followed by a gunshot to his side that sent him crashing to the floor.
"Only two left."
But one of them took advantage of the moment and fired a shot that struck Zak in the shoulder. A burning pain surged through him, but he refused to let it slow him down. He rolled to the ground, raised his guns, and fired two consecutive shots—the first missed, but the second landed squarely in the man's chest.
The final enemy was smarter than the others. He didn't hold onto his weapon; instead, he tossed his rifle aside and raised his hands.
"Wait, we can talk this out, right?"
But Zak wasn't in the mood for negotiations. He walked toward the man slowly, then shot him in the knee, sending him to the ground, screaming.
"We'll talk… after you tell me who sent you."
Zak stood over the wounded man while the system chuckled in his head:
"Your stats this time? 15 shots fired, 9 confirmed hits, 3 partial hits, and 3 wasted bullets. A decent improvement… but you've got a long way to go before you reach sniper-level precision."
Zak smirked as he looked at the bodies around him, then turned his attention to the injured man, pointing his gun directly at him.
"Now… let's talk."
The wounded man trembled in pain and fear as he stammered, "The Penguin… the Penguin sent us… because you crippled the Butcher…"
Zak let out a deep sigh, then aimed his gun at the man's head and pulled the trigger.
He stood over the corpse, gripping his gun as he surveyed the room filled with bodies and chaos. Blood stained the floor, and the lingering scent of gunpowder filled the air. This wasn't his first kill, but it was one of the bloodiest encounters he had faced so far. He exhaled sharply, trying to process the new information.
"The Penguin? He sent them? Damn… I didn't expect to get on his radar this soon."
Before he could think further, a transparent blue notification appeared before him.
[Successful Extermination]
Kill Count: 12
Combat Efficiency: 85%
Rounds Used: 17
Wasted Shots: 4
Headshot Accuracy: 3
Chest Accuracy: 8
Other Injuries: 6
Then, another notification appeared below the first:
[Body Cleanup]
Would you like to activate the cleanup feature?
(All bodies will be removed, intruders' belongings will be sold, and any stolen items will be returned to your storage.)
Zak read the details, then raised an eyebrow and said sarcastically,
"Oh? So I make some money out of this too?"
The system chuckled in his head,
"Of course. You can't just kill 12 people and get nothing out of it, right?"
Zak glanced around once more, then pressed "Yes" without hesitation. Instantly, the bodies began to fade away, turning into fine dust, taking their weapons and belongings with them. The only thing left was the bloodstained floor.
A new notification appeared in front of him:
[Cleanup Complete]
Funds Earned: $4,500
Weapons & Gear Acquired:
Assault Rifle [Common] (Auto-sold: $700)
Semi-Automatic Handgun [Common] (Auto-sold: $300)
Bulletproof Vest (Damaged) [Normal] (Auto-sold: $250)
4 Combat Knives [Normal] (Auto-sold: $400)
Small Drug Pouch (Disposed of Automatically)
4 Mobile Phones (Added to Storage)
Another notification popped up beside it:
Total Profit After Transactions: $6,150
Recovered Items: None
Zak raised an impressed eyebrow as he looked at the numbers.
"Not bad… fight, clean up, and make money. It's like being a freelance hitman."
The system remarked sarcastically,
"Don't celebrate too much. You've pissed off the Penguin, which means you're now on his blacklist. So expect more trouble soon."
Zak sighed, wiping his forehead with his hand, feeling exhausted from everything that had happened. But there was no time to rest—he had to think about his next move.
"Looks like I need to get stronger, buy better gear… and maybe come up with a plan to deal with this tyrant called the Penguin."
As he pondered, he glanced at his watch. It read 3:45 AM. It was time to head back to bed, even though he knew sleeping wouldn't be easy after such a violent night.
Suddenly, a golden shimmering notification appeared before him, surrounded by sparks of divine energy, while an epic soundtrack played in the background, making the atmosphere even more dramatic. He didn't need to ask—he instantly realized this wasn't an ordinary mission. It was a Divine Message.
The moment the mission appeared, the system let out a mix of excitement and concern:
"Oh boy… looks like the gods have decided to give you their first mission. This is no joke!"
Zak raised an eyebrow in curiosity and leaned against the wall.
"Alright, let's see what we've got here."
The golden transparency moved in front of him, displaying the following text:
[Divine Mission]
Title: Exterminate the Penguin
Description: You have put yourself on the radar of one of Gotham's biggest crime lords, Oswald Cobblepot, also known as "The Penguin." This man will not leave you alone, and the gods have decided that his existence in this world is no longer necessary. Your task is to eliminate him permanently, by any means you see fit.
Time Limit: 15 days
Warning: You cannot receive any other system missions until this one is completed.
Rewards upon Success:
Unlock Mana System
Choose one magical ability from three random options
$20,000
10,000 XP
1 Uncommon Gacha Card
Punishment for Failure:
Wrath of the Gods – Unknown Consequence
Zak stared at the mission for several moments while the system remained unusually silent. Then, he finally sighed and muttered under his breath:
"Oh, fantastic… They want me to assassinate one of Gotham's biggest crime lords in just 15 days?"
The system let out a sarcastic laugh:
"Welcome to the world of Divine Messages—where you don't get a say in the matter!"
Zak ran a hand down his face and muttered sarcastically:
"Can't they give me something a little easier? Like, I don't know, stealing something from him? Sneaking into his fortress? No, of course not—they want me to kill him outright!"
The system replied in a more serious tone this time:
"Look, I know this seems impossible right now, but think about it… If you succeed, you'll unlock the mana system, gain a magical ability, and earn a ton of money and experience. This could make you incredibly powerful!"
Zak sighed again as he stared at the screen, then said:
"Alright… I can't refuse it anyway, so there's no point in complaining. We need to start planning immediately."
A new notification appeared, informing him that the mission had been automatically accepted, and then the screen slowly faded away. This was the beginning of a new challenge.
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If you liked the story and want to read more
or just to support me, copy the link below.
You will find a special membership for:
3 chapter
and another one for:
7 chapters.
patreon.com/zakx205
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