An Enticing Proposition

"Who are you?"

The woman offered an alluring smile. "Bennett Collins, correct?"

Bennett gripped the Shooting Star concealed beneath his coat, his expression unyielding.

"I know what you're thinking, but I'm no assassin."

"I asked who you are."

Even as Bennett shifted his stance to draw and level the repeating crossbow, the woman took an unbothered step forward.

"My name is Violet. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Have you heard of Whisper by any chance?"

"...I have."

Whisper.

Out of the countless information brokerages operating within the Dungeon City, they ranked comfortably among the top five.

"I came because I have an offer to make. Do you have a moment to talk?"

She displayed no outward hostility, but Bennett kept his guard raised. He had every reason to be cautious.

She's strong.

The woman standing before him was an elite combatant.

On the surface, Violet maintained a benign facade while keeping her mana tightly coiled, but Bennett quietly engaged Night ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Vision followed by Insight.

Instantly, a vortex of mana whipping around her revealed itself to his senses. Though held in a tight perimeter, its fierce, condensed currents could only be described as a storm.

Having traded blows with numerous mana practitioners, Bennett knew instinctively: the woman before him was an Elite Rank powerhouse. Ordinary practitioners could never command such refined, tempestuous currents, regardless of their raw mana reserves.

"What business does an executive of Whisper have with me?"

"As I said, I have a proposition."

"I'm listening."

Regardless of her overwhelming aura, Bennett's face remained an unreadable mask. It was his signature look—calm, flat, and impossible to decipher.

"I have two matters to discuss. First, I'd like to hear what happened inside the dungeon you escaped from today. Naturally, you'll be compensated for the intelligence. Second, I'd like to extend an invitation."

"An invitation?"

"Whisper is preparing to launch a new venture, and we'd like to know if you're interested in taking part."

Bennett tilted his head slightly. "A new venture?"

"Until now, our business revolved around resolving our clients' troubles through information. However, some patrons find mere intelligence insufficient and require more direct intervention. After much consideration, we've decided to expand in that direction."

The moment she mentioned 'direct intervention,' Bennett understood precisely what she meant. Having worked as a mercenary for a decade, the concept was second nature to him.

"You need hitmen."

"You could call it that, but on our end, we prefer the term Fixer. Think of it as a premium, bespoke mercenary service."

"An organization of Whisper's caliber should have plenty of internal muscle."

"Of course we do! But our internal forces have their hands full managing Whisper's own affairs. That's why we're recruiting trustworthy external specialists."

"I'm not so sure I'm the right fit for such sensitive assignments."

Bennett maintained a defensive distance, but Violet pushed forward, closing the gap with fluid grace. Even when Bennett subtly brought the muzzle of the Shooting Star to bear, she didn't bat an eye.

"Oh, come now, we've already done our homework. Your reputation in the trade is sterling. Inside the circuit, they call you 'the man you must never make an enemy of.' Not to mention the recent incidents involving the Hunters and House Reid."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Quite a few clients requested background checks on you recently. The Hunters and House Reid were prime examples. When their representatives showed up in person, their eyes were practically dripping with bloodlust... And yet, immediately after, the Hunters' elite force was wiped out to the last man, and the patriarch of House Reid dropped dead out of nowhere. That paints a fairly vivid picture of your capabilities, wouldn't you say?"

They really are an information guild.

"I can accommodate your first request," Bennett conceded. "The City Administration wanted a debriefing as well, and I just finished speaking with them."

"Off to a wonderful start!"

"However, the second offer doesn't interest me."

"You'll be handsomely rewarded. I guarantee the payout will be to your liking."

Violet flashed a confident grin, but Bennett's stoic demeanor didn't budge an inch.

The woman before him was an intelligence broker to the bone. Every micro-expression, every involuntary twitch could be analyzed and later sold as valuable commodity.

"You have a sick younger sister, don't you?"

Bennett's impassive facade flickered for a fraction of a second.

Violet waved her hand casually, as though mentioning nothing more serious than the weather.

"I heard her illness doesn't respond to ordinary holy healing. Judging by how she almost never steps outside, her condition must have deteriorated. At a guess... she's barely clinging to life, isn't she?"

"What's your point?"

"We can improve her condition."

Their intelligence is lagging.

It was true that Bella had been deathly ill. However, thanks to the prototype elixir recovered from the Secret Research Laboratory, her downward spiral had been halted. While far from a complete cure, the shadow of imminent death had already been cast aside.

Still, Whisper's blind spot was understandable. Even though her health was stabilizing, Bella remained indoors. No matter how expansive Whisper's network was, they couldn't uncover secrets sealed inside four private walls.

Just as Bennett lost interest and prepared to flatly refuse, Violet reached into her coat and produced an object.

"With this, you might be able to cure her completely."

"...?"

Bennett exerted every ounce of his willpower to keep his face completely blank.

Resting in her palm was a familiar vial: the prototype GS-P27. There was no mistaking it. The empty casing from the one he had given Bella still sat hidden in his room.

"This is a sort of universal panacea salvaged from the dungeons."

After finding the first dose in the Closed Prison, he had combed through both the Closed Police Headquarters and the Quarantined Laboratory, yet hadn't turned up a single spare.

"A universal panacea?"

"Yes!"

"How am I supposed to believe that? I've heard rumors that the dungeon world relied on technological science rather than magic, but could an all-purpose cure really exist?"

Bennett feigned skepticism despite having witnessed its miraculous properties firsthand.

His performance was convincing enough that Violet nodded with an understanding air.

"I admit it's hard to believe. But its efficacy has already been verified. Through certain backchannels, Whisper secured three of these vials, and two have already been put to use."

"..."

"We administered them to someone suffering from a terminal disease and another on the brink of death from catastrophic trauma. While it didn't result in a total, instant cure, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the outcomes were remarkable. The terminal patient stabilized into a frail yet entirely sustainable state, while the critical patient's life was preserved long enough for conventional medicine to handle the rest."

New information.

Hearing that it worked on traumatic physical injuries was news to him. Until now, he had only considered it a treatment for his sister's wasting illness.

In that case, having a spare on hand would be invaluable. An unexpected crisis could embroil him or Bella at any moment, or a party member might require emergency stabilization.

"If you suspect this is a bluff—"

"I understand."

Cut off mid-sentence, Violet blinked in surprise before her smile returned.

"No more questions?"

"A medicine with that kind of efficacy wouldn't be handed out for a single contract, would it?"

"I did wrestle with that." Violet nodded in agreement. "To be frank, I originally intended to ask for three to five jobs. But taking a look at you, I had a feeling you'd turn me down flat."

"..."

"So I decided to settle on just one job. Naturally, the assignment will be correspondingly demanding, but wouldn't that arrangement suit both of us better?"

Bennett sensed instinctively that whatever task Violet had in mind would be fraught with danger. Even so, he gave a curt nod.

One contract for one miraculous reward.

Risk was inevitable, but in truth, danger followed every path in this trade—whether delving into dungeons or walking the city streets.

"...Very well."

"Wonderful! Looks like we have a deal."

Violet slipped a slip of thick, textured paper into his hand.

It was the second card Bennett had received today. Unlike the bureaucratic card Walker had handed him, however, this one exuded unmistakable luxury.

Instead of a person's name, it bore an establishment and an address.

"Come tomorrow evening."

Blowing him a playful kiss, Violet turned and vanished into the shadows.

Bennett watched her departing figure for a moment before resuming his pace. His home was just a few steps away.

Tap, tap-tap, tap!

After tapping the prearranged knock, Bennett unlocked the door and pushed it open, only to pause. Bella stood inside, aiming a downgraded model of the repeating crossbow squarely at the entrance.

"B-Brother?"

"Sorry. I'm late."

Bella immediately lowered the crossbow and threw herself into his arms.

"I thought something happened to you!"

"I know. I'm sorry."

Holding her trembling frame, Bennett gently patted her back until her breathing steadied.

The following morning, after sleeping deeply and waking late, Bennett sat down before the small desk in his room.

By eradicating the Outsider known as the Hand of Curse, he had accumulated enough experience to jump two levels at once.

Now was the time to finalize the traits and abilities he had postponed selecting during the chaos of the laboratory's collapse.

...Rock Fist just keeps showing up, doesn't it?

Knowing full well what kind of crude mutation it entailed, Bennett ruled it out immediately. Next was Blade Finger.

It seemed slightly more practical than Blade Claws, which had surfaced in past rolls, but it was still far too awkward for his combat style. Bennett carried multiple daggers on his person even if he rarely had to draw them, making natural finger-blades entirely redundant.

Fortunately, the final candidate looked worthwhile.

He had never considered his vision poor, but his primary combat role was that of an archer and ranger. Sharper eyesight was an asset he could never have too much of.

Without hesitation, he selected Sight Enhancement, prompting the second selection window to materialize.

What on earth is a kangaroo?

Puzzled, Bennett bypassed it and examined the final option.

All three options had their merits, but pure physical augmentations like thicker legs or reinforced shoulders could already be compensated for through raw Strength and Agility stats.

After a brief deliberation, Bennett selected Sensitive Senses.

To test the waters, Bennett activated Detection.

Instantly, his sensory sphere expanded outward. Every sensory organ in his body dialed into high gear, processing surrounding input with effortless intuition.

Curious, he channeled his Otherworldly Power into the skill—

"...!"

The sensory radius blew outward in a violent surge. The speed of the expansion was so sudden he had to actively rein it in to avoid sensory overload.

A stray alley cat padding past the front door, loose trash tumbling in the crossbreeze—every micro-vibration registered with pinpoint clarity.

With this, spotting an ordinary ambush will be child's play.

While testing against specialized cloaking magic would require real-world verification, it clearly served a function equivalent to the spatial perception that knights developed through aura.

The sole drawback was the energy consumption.

Though his Otherworldly Power had fully regenerated after running dry during the battle against the Hand of Curse, activating Detection caused the reserve to plummet from thirty-five straight down to twenty in a handful of seconds.

Still, it's practical enough even without channeling energy...

Aside from the range shrinking to a radius of a few meters, the unboosted form of Detection was an exceptional passive utility.

"I'm heading out for a bit."

"Stay safe, brother!"

Donning his dark red jacket and armaments, Bennett stepped into the daylight with effortless strides.

Was it because his Agility had broken past fifty? The sensation was completely distinct from when it lingered in the forties. It felt as though a mere thought of moving forward would launch his body into a blur. With his cruising speed substantially heightened, he crossed distances in a fraction of the time.

His first destination lay in the outer sector beyond the city walls. Scanning the quiet vicinity, Bennett planted a boot against a rough brick wall and kicked off.

Thwip.

In the past, clearing this rooftop would have demanded Flash Sprint. Now, he landed atop the shingles in a single bound, dropping low against the roofline to inspect the building across the street.

The structure was a hollowed-out wreck, its blasted door hanging by splinters. Thick white cordon tape was wound around the perimeter, flanked by heavy quarantine signage to deter wanderers.

Fighting religion with religion is always the cleanest route.

This had been another address discovered in the pocket ledger of the priest serving Ra'al, the Corrupted Religious Ruler.

Before diving into the Quarantined Laboratory, Bennett had forwarded an anonymous dossier to the Holy Alliance. Evidently, their inquisitors had descended like locusts shortly after, turning the clandestine hideout inside out.

Through the shattered entrance, Bennett caught sight of stubborn crimson stains splattered across the floorboards. The cult's other safehouses had undoubtedly met the same violent fate. For the foreseeable future, Ra'al's grip on the city's fringes would remain thoroughly crippled.

Satisfied, Bennett dropped from the roof.

His next destination was the scheduled meeting with Whisper at the Advisor.

As he wove through an alleyway heading back toward the inner city walls, a passerby abruptly veered off his trajectory and lunged into him.

Thud.

Feigning an accidental collision, the man drove a concealed dagger toward Bennett's midriff. A vicious smirk touched the assailant's lips—only to freeze in place as his gaze dropped downward.

"W-What the...?"

The blade, which should have buried itself deep into Bennett's intestines, was caught dead between Bennett's bare fingers.

"Y-You caught a mana-infused blade with your bare hand?!"

Panic clouded the attacker's mind, blinding him to the heterodox energy wrapping Bennett's palm like a sheath of unseen armor.

By the time the man came to his senses and tried to wrench the weapon free, Bennett had already pivoted.

Crack!

"Aaaaargh!"

A sickening crunch echoed off the alley walls as the man collapsed to his knees, clutching his pulverized groin. No amount of conditioning or assassin training could blunt the agony of shattered testicles.

Snatching the dagger from the squirming attacker's grip, Bennett drove the steel cleanly through his throat.

After a frantic spasm, the man went limp. Bennett smoothly wrenched the blade free and swept his flat, dispassionate gaze across the street.

"Who's next?"

All at once, the strolling pedestrians—every single one of them an operative in disguise—drew their weapons and charged toward him.