(Twin Fang Planet, Merchants District, 45 Minutes Later)
After leaving the United Carriers store, Leo walked into a modest-looking item shop next, that was tucked between a weapons boutique and a mana accessories outlet.
The walls inside were lined with gear for both rookie assassins and seasoned killers, such as boots that nullified footsteps, protective bracelets that could deflect low-grade spells, and masks designed to blur facial features.
Leo's eyes settled on a plain black concealment mask near the center shelf.
It had no design, no flair, just a matte, contoured surface with a smooth texture and a built-in mana dampener that would interfere with facial recognition attempts.
"How much?" he asked the shopkeeper.
"Thirty-two thousand MP," the woman replied, not bothering to pitch it, as the item pretty much sold itself.
Leo paid without haggling, then turned around and slid the mask onto his face just as he stepped outside, as being the cautious man that he now was, he knew better than to walk into the missions hall to claim his 6.5 billion MP reward while openly displaying his face.
—-----------
(Twin Fang Planet, Black Serpents Guild Missions Hall)
The Mission Hall bustled with activity as usual, with there being a sizable crowd gathered just underneath the mission postings wall, as they searched for that next lucrative mission to accept.
Assassins of every kind and speciality moved about in cliques, their dark robes brushing past one another, the energy tense but disciplined.
As Leo walked silently between them.
He made no announcement, no declaration. Instead, his masked figure strolled directly to the center of the hall, where the towering golden plaque still hung untouched on the main board.
It shimmered faintly in the artificial lighting, radiating an aura of importance—this was no standard assignment. This was the crown jewel of all the current listings.
Without a word, Leo reached out and pulled it down.
The clang of metal echoed through the hall like a thunderclap. Conversations halted. Heads turned. In seconds, the idle murmur turned into a low roar.
"Wait… did he just take the Golden Plaq?"
"That's the mission from the Time-Stilled World! The one that Garry said was suicidal to attempt !"
"Who is that guy?"
"Is he alone? Where's his team?"
"Hey buddy, you know you can only take it down if the mission's complete, right?"
The wave of voices rose quickly as more assassins gathered, their curiosity mingled with disbelief. Some looked shocked. Others were already suspicious. But Leo ignored all of it.
He didn't slow his pace.
He walked with a calm certainty through the noise and straight to the clerk's desk, where without hesitation, he placed the plaque on the table, and peered straight into the clerks' surprised eyes.
"I have completed the mission," he said in a voice muffled slightly by the mask. "You can verify it in a private room, after which I want to discuss my rewards."
The clerk, a young woman who had clearly not expected this kind of chaos during her shift, blinked at him in horror.
Her eyes darted to the golden plaque. Then to Leo. Then back again.
Her hands trembled slightly as she reached for the communication crystal on her desk and raised it to her mouth.
"H-Head Supervisor," she stammered, trying to keep her voice steady. "We have a situation… A masked man just submitted the golden mission plaque for verification. Says it's completed. He's requesting immediate processing."
Her voice dropped to a whisper.
"Yes… that mission. The one from the Time-Stilled World."
Leo said nothing as she continued to talk, his stance unmoving, his gaze sharp behind the blackened mask, as the crowd behind him continued to buzz with feverish speculation.
"No seriously, who is that guy? He's clearly no stronger than a Grandmaster…. Did he really complete the mission?"
"Why is he hiding his identity if he really completed the mission? Does he not want the glory for completing it?"
"He's probably hiding his identity because he's not a complete idiot.
Imagine showing your face to a room full of killers who now know that you're richer than the Vice Guildmaster, but don't have the strength to protect that wealth.
He's smart….I'll give him that, but I still doubt that he really completed the mission—"
The people behind him muttered, as soon a breathless supervisor stumbled into the room, sweat beads rolling down his forehead.
"Sir, are you the one who completed the mission?" He asked, his voice laced with disbelief, as Leo merely nodded in acknowledgement.
"Please follow me… the Vice Guildmaster has requested to see you in his office," He said, as Leo jumped over the clerks counter and joined the supervisor behind it, before gesturing to him to lead the way.
—--------------
The supervisor nervously led Leo to the headquarters building of the guild, where he put him on a private lift that ascended swiftly through the central shaft before halting at the 65th floor—right outside the Vice Guildmaster's office.
"I hope I did not cause you any significant delay or inconvenience," he said before giving Leo a shallow bow, as he hastily excused himself, the doors of the elevator closing behind him with a faint hiss.
*Music*
Leo listened to some elevator music for a few seconds, until a *ding* sound announced his arrival at the desired floor.
*Hiss*
As the lift door slid open once more, Leo instinctively straightened his posture—only to be met by the intense gaze of none other than Vice Guildmaster Antonio, who stood right at the threshold of the elevator opening, with his arms folded and a single eyebrow raised in suspicion.
Leo's heart skipped a beat.
For a brief second, it felt as if his mask was paper-thin, as if the concealment enchantments and mana dampening runes did absolutely nothing against the man's sharp gaze, as Antonio's presence radiated an authority that left no room for pretense or façade.
And just as Leo feared, it became clear that the disguise had served no purpose, when Antonio finally opened his mouth, as the first words he spoke made it evident as to how useless his disguise was against beings of Antonio's level.
"I was wondering which youngling had managed to complete the mission," Antonio said, his voice calm but laced with a hint of authority. "But if it's the Circuit Champion Leo Skyshard… then it's believable."
Leo exhaled through his nose and smiled dryly beneath the mask, before pulling it off with one hand and storing it in his spatial ring in one smooth motion.
"Pardon my caution, I'm a low profile guy," he muttered, stepping off the lift and into the Vice Guildmaster's office.
Antonio nodded and turned around without further comment, his long black coat fluttering slightly as he walked toward his expansive desk at the far end of the room.
"Come. We have much to discuss," he said without looking back, as the reinforced glass windows behind him offered a panoramic view of the entire Twin Fang skyline, glittering with life.
Leo followed without hesitation, preparing himself for whatever came next, as he knew that he was due for an intense grilling session, where any slip-up could instantly land him in pretty deep waters.