The Assassin's Silent Approach
Around 2 p.m., as Kim Jian and the other bankers fought desperately to shield their clients from the assassin's grasp, Okerus Dis Pater, president of the Dimensional Credit Vault, gazed out the window of her private jet at the stunning Kikiwai sea, lost in thought.
"A man who can't be taken lightly."
Having met him in person, Kim Jian had proven far bolder than she'd imagined. As someone hired by Elama, he would surely have looked into the names of his fellow employees. He must have known that Pluto, the teller at the counter, bore the surname Dis Pater. Which meant that when she'd introduced herself as Pluto's sister, Kim Jian had likely realized the person sitting with him was none other than Okerus Dis Pater, president of the Dimensional Credit Vault.
Indeed, the man she'd scouted herself was no ordinary fellow. She'd long noticed his standout performance among the new hires from reports on the West Podoks Branch and the Kikiwai outpost. But meeting him face-to-face, his guts rivaled those of seasoned veterans.
That night over drinks, Okerus had deliberately pretended to be drunk, lobbing one awkward question after another. There were two reasons. First, she wanted to test the man who now held her lost eye. Second, she was irked that her sister Pluto had, for the first time in her life, asked to grab a meal with a man first.
"Pluto, that girl— she'd ignore every guy I tried to introduce her to."
Okerus had attempted several times to set her up with elites from the Dimensional Credit Vault to marry her off, but Pluto had shot them all down without even glancing at their photos. 'A spinster who's never dated once—why should I go for a guy you set up? If he's so great, you date him first, sis.' Stumped by that logical retort, Okerus hadn't broached the subject since. But now, it seemed Pluto was finally feeling the pressure of her age and actively seeking a match.
"Wait..."
She'd been petty that day, but upon reflection, Kim Jian didn't seem like a bad choice. Among the young bankers close to Pluto in mental age, none in the last five years had posted results as eye-catching as his in their first year. Even the HQ executives, like Elama, who judged solely by merit, were taking notice. And he wasn't arrogant or cripplingly insecure. Even in a casual setting, he'd answered her rude questions from the president without hesitation—confidence as a bonus. Not to mention his looks.
"..."
Just picturing Kim Jian's face melted the tension from Okerus's expression. He couldn't compare to the gods, born perfect and beautiful, but for a human, he was exceptionally handsome.
"Ahem."
Okerus flushed and cleared her throat. It wasn't just her opinion—Kim Jian's striking appearance was objectively noteworthy. According to a confidential HR report, over 85% of female HQ bankers felt favorably toward the photo of him splashed across newspapers alongside Flat Sharpendora. Considering the diverse races among the staff, that was astonishing popularity. Even the directors had suggested using his photo for the commemorative calendars distributed to clients.
But Okerus was more interested in aspects beyond his looks.
"...Still, it's entered the next phase already. The awakening is faster than expected."
The 'eye' implanted in Kim Jian was gradually regaining its original power. She'd never imagined the seal on a divine eye would loosen this quickly in a human body. Okerus suspected it might be linked to Kim Jian acquiring his Job Authority, sharing in divine power.
"Or perhaps—"
She recalled when he'd handled the World Tree collateral loan in Dimension 33, personally writing a divine utterance on paper for him. It had been half an experiment, and if other gods found out, it would stir up trouble. But she'd trusted her instincts, and as hoped, Kim Jian had activated it, elevating a wind spirit to archspirit. It must have been that indirect taste of divine power fragment that accelerated the eye's unsealing.
In a way, it was a hint toward achieving her greatest goal in bringing Kim Jian to this dimension. Yet Okerus's face remained clouded.
"..."
What if the eye's seal loosened further before his Job Authority fully matured? At this rate, it was like pouring an ocean into a cup—Kim Jian, the vessel, couldn't contain it. She might reclaim the unsealed eye, but destroying its host wasn't the ending she wanted.
"I mustn't let him abuse divine utterances recklessly..."
If Elama or Kim Jian came to her for help, she'd have to shake her head without hesitation.
"..."
She was prepared to sacrifice one or two bankers for the greater good, but not if it was this talented newbie—her sister's man.
"Getting old is a scary thing."
She shouldn't be softening like this already. Muttering to herself, Okerus reclined in the plush seat of her private jet. She didn't want extreme measures. For now, all she could do was hope Kim Jian grew as expected. The president drifted off, savoring her brief vacation.
Dollar Dollar Island, home to the Dimensional Credit Vault's exclusive staff lounge and resort. As bank property, access was restricted to authorized personnel. Yet the bankers remained vigilant, tirelessly monitoring the safety of their protected clients.
"CCTV check complete."
The footage retrieved by Bishuti's guards clearly showed the masked man's retreating figure.
"A well-trained bastard. You can tell from his eyes alone. He won't give up easily."
Bishuti shared the video with the other bankers, then glared at the zoomed-in photo for a while. Despite the poor quality, he was squeezing every scrap of intel on the enemy.
The Colossus that Kim Jian had brought was also processing the visual data, automatically analyzing the assassin's build and projecting a holographic model into the air.
Info on the assassin—everything uncovered so far—had been distributed to the security chief, servers, housemaids, and front desk staff. And all this was handled discreetly, without alerting the HQ and branch bankers vacationing on the island for the golden week holiday.
Resort staff carried emergency pagers. Spot a figure matching the assassin's build, and they'd alert Bishuti at the safehouse command post immediately.
Above all, Bishuti had installed extra surveillance gear around the resort—no gaps in security. Meanwhile, Kim Jian and the others kept up loan reviews by contacting the HQ personal lending department.
"So, you can relax and enjoy yourselves now."
The Adijen couple's faces remained grim after Kim Jian's explanation. Having their lives targeted by a family-hired assassin was no pleasant news.
Honestly, bringing them to this resort—shared with other bankers—carried risks. These were the guys who'd tried to blow up the bank outpost. If they learned the couple was here, they might bomb the whole place.
Well, I'm doing my utmost to prevent that.
Omni-directional scanning radar active.
Vital signs of pedestrian unconfirmed.
The Colossus Mark 2 replica was hovering over the uninhabited island, surveilling 360 degrees. Built to exterminate space monsters and pests, detecting vital signs within kilometers was child's play.
All bio-reactions picked up by Colossus mapped onto the contact lenses I wore.
These lenses were made in Colossus Mark 2's onboard micro-fabrication unit. For user convenience, it had extras like gathering ambient materials to produce gear or accessories. Pico-scale parts, powered by monatomic gold—the alchemists' ultimate substance and the bot's energy source—formed a tiny factory. Nanoi tech ensured no eye strain even after hours.
Main feature: sharing Colossus's data. Right now, a translucent map overlaid my vision.
Not just people on the island, but schools of fish swimming in the sea. Every living thing nearby showed as condensed motion data on the map. Tiny markers bobbed along. Me, the Adijen couple, other bankers—Colossus's radar nailed every intelligent lifeform.
Think "details," and it responded to my brainwaves, shifting the map. Toggle on/off anytime. Oddly, for intelligent beings, marker colors revealed emotions—like reading fonts and hues in Dr. Sau's hologram chat.
"Amazing. Is this the lenses too?"
As I marveled at Nanoi tech, a message from Colossus's AI popped up on the lenses.
This function does not exist in Colossus's radar.
"..."
I formed a hypothesis. Reading emotions might be an extension of my Job Authority.
...But if that's true, there's a problem.
"Weird."
When Job Authority strengthens—like on promotion—usage instructions auto-input to our brains. Yet this new eye power opened without me noticing.
Meaning, this emotion-reading isn't Job Authority—it's something else.
"Not an illusion..."
Magic exists here, so anything's possible, but it's hard to buy. Based on past experience, what my eye shows is real. So, time to use it effectively.
"Hm."
A pod of dolphins swimming toward Dollar Dollar Island emitted joy signals on the map. Even non-sentients under Huuriten law with decent IQ showed emotions via my eye. I wasn't used to it yet—Mira could read faces bare-eyed with nuance, but I was limited to data, text, symbols.
Still, I could gauge an assassin's killing intent from the map.
Kim Jian was confident his new power would protect the clients, but reality proved tougher. He still lacked knowledge of this world to handle the 'unknown' fully.
Two things he didn't know: First, assassin Yohane was dolphin-shaped, swimming full-speed toward the island. Second, Yohane had zero intent to kill the Adijen-Minoli couple—no murderous aura as Kim Jian assumed.
Thus, Yohane infiltrated undetected, reverting to human form on Dollar Dollar Island's beach.
With snorkel and goggles, emerging from the sea, he looked like any beachgoer heading to their room post-swim.
"Might as well scare all the guests while I'm at it."
Disguised as staff, Yohane sprinkled contents from Gagamel's vial generously over the seafood buffet. No kills intended, so far less than suggested—playful dose. Guests would suffer hives, rashes, and symptoms for two days. Per Gagamel, non-lethal but agonizing.
"Sorry to ruin the honeymoon."
Freshlyweds hit with health alarms would fight like mad, pushing toward the divorce the clients wanted.
"At least enjoy it while it lasts."
Yohane, in a nondescript face, grabbed an early seat in the dining hall. Most poisons couldn't touch him. He planned to watch his targets suffer from start to finish.
"Gotta order popcorn. If it's on the menu."
He still didn't suspect old pal Gagamel of deceit.