Ascension of the Harem King : From Fugitive to Lord

Zedd sheathed his katana, not bothering to wipe the blood off. He knew he'd be using it again soon. After securing his weapon, he took a moment to survey the compound's front yard. The extravagant garden, beautiful fountains, and golden statues were now covered in blood. He couldn't help but admire the beauty of the estate.

Pathetic. Instead of spending money on better security, that fool spent it on decorations. Zedd muttered inwardly. His tone betrayed his confidence, and the compound, even bathed in moonlight late at night, still exuded a certain charm.

Rather than entering through the front door, Zedd chose to avoid any unwanted encounters with servants. He wasn't after them, just the target. He'd killed the guards to ensure they wouldn't interfere, but that was it. Zedd easily jumped to the second story, scaling the roof with ease. As he walked toward an open window, he slipped inside, his footsteps silent.

The target lay in an extravagant king-sized bed, fast asleep. The 50-year-old corrupt officer was naked, flanked by two young women, no older than 25, also asleep. Zedd's lips twisted into a sneer.

And here I was thinking I could just kill him and take his head. But if this old douchebag wakes up and screams, I'll be in big trouble. Zedd considered his options. He could kill the women, too—most likely his side flings—but their screams would alert the whole mansion, and he wasn't in the mood for a fight with dozens of people.

Who cares? I only came here to kill him, take his head, and earn some money. Zedd uttered inwardly, setting his gaze on the side table. Empty wine bottles, used condoms, and energy drinks littered the surface.

So these three are drunk and asleep, huh? That means they won't wake up until I make too much noise. This should be damn easy.

Zedd pushed the two women aside, making enough room between them and the corrupt officer. He pulled a kunai from his sleeve and began the work of severing the officer's neck. Zedd knew there were only seven bones in the neck, so it was a simple job. Within moments, the officer's head was removed.

Target eliminated.

Zedd glanced at the head, then turned and made his way back to the window. Holding the head was awkward since it had no hair. He slid out the same way he entered, dropping to the ground. Zedd grabbed the head and walked back to the alleyway, where the man waited.

The man inspected the head to verify its authenticity. "Pretty good work for a newbie. Never seen you before—are you some mercenary?"

Zedd didn't respond. Instead, he extended his hand for payment.

The man chuckled. "Already asking for it, huh? Well, here you go." He handed Zedd a small pouch of gold coins. "You earned it."

Zedd opened the pouch and inspected the contents—50 gold coins. "What was the target's rank?" Zedd asked, still calculating.

"C-rank," the man replied. "Since you were a newbie, I didn't think you'd finish it so fast, with such precision. But you did better than I expected."

So that's why it was so easy—the infiltration and killing process. Zedd muttered to himself.

Zedd nodded. "Alright, I'll take more work. But I want high-risk jobs—higher risk, higher pay, right?"

The man nodded. "You'll find me here every early morning, between 1 AM and 3 AM."

Zedd nodded again and turned to leave. As he walked away, he looked up at the sky, realizing that dawn was breaking. The sun was about to rise. He quickly rushed back to the village, making sure to slip past the guards, who were fast asleep.

Once inside, he removed his weapons—shuriken and kunai. He hadn't needed them except for the one kunai used to cut off the target's head for identification. Zedd carefully placed his katana on the table, deciding he would clean it tomorrow. His clothes were stained with blood, but not his. It was the guards' blood. He quickly stripped them off and put on a simple set of pants and a shirt.

His gaze fell on the pouch of gold coins. He opened it again to ensure it was legitimate and the right amount was inside. If it wasn't, he'd go back and kill the man.

Man, gold coins are worthless in these small villages. I need to exchange them for silver ones, but they ask for identification and the source of the money. I can't risk revealing my identity. I'll think about it tomorrow.

Zedd slumped into bed, exhausted. It was 4 AM, but he didn't care. He decided to sleep for two more hours to recharge.