Chapter 40: Chapter 40: Bone Contract Hall Base

“What’s going on out there?” the target frowned.

His companion tilted his head, listening. Heavy footsteps pounded against the floor outside, followed by a sharp crash and a muffled cry.

Unease crept into the room.

Before either of them could stand, the door exploded inward.

Wood splintered as Skullbreaker kicked it open with brutal force.

The target barely had time to look up.

Bone Fist stormed in first, while Skullbreaker followed right behind him. The lantern light caught on Skullbreaker’s spiked club as it swung in a savage arc.

The target tried to rise, panic flashing across his face.

“Wai—!”

Too late.

Skullbreaker brought the club down.

The impact was sickening. Blood sprayed across the silk curtains as the target collapsed, his body crumpling to the floor without another sound.

The room fell silent.

The man who had been chatting with him froze in place, eyes wide, his mouth hanging open. He stared at the two masked figures standing over the corpse, his legs shaking so badly he nearly fell out of his chair.

From his perspective, it was pure nightmare.

Two mysterious people had burst in out of nowhere, killed a powerful guard outside in a short time, and now stood there without saying a word.

Then something even worse happened.

Without warning, both figures began to fade.

Their forms blurred, turning translucent, like mist caught in lantern light. In the span of a heartbeat, Bone Fist vanished. Skullbreaker followed a second later, dissolving into nothing.

They were simply… gone.

No footsteps. No smoke. No trace they had ever been there.

The survivor’s breath hitched.

His knees gave out, and he slid to the floor, a wet stain spreading beneath him as terror finally overwhelmed his body.

Somewhere nearby, hidden from sight, Aiden quietly released the summons and turned away.

Job done.

—

The next morning, Aiden returned to Goro’s hideout alone.

This time, he didn’t summon Bone Fist. He walked through the narrow alley with nothing but his hood pulled low and his hands tucked into his sleeves.

The guards at the hidden door hesitated for only a moment before letting him inside.

Goro was already waiting.

The moment Aiden stepped into the room, Goro broke into a wide grin, his face practically splitting in two.

“Hahaha! I can’t believe you actually pulled it off.”

Aiden stopped a few steps away, his expression calm beneath the mask.

“Although Bone Contract Hall is new,” he said evenly, “We never fail a mission.”

Goro studied him for a second, then nodded slowly.

“Good. I like that.”

He leaned back in his chair, letting out a satisfied breath.

“Bone Contract Hall… that’s a pretty good name. Has weight to it.”

Goro drummed his fingers against the table, clearly in high spirits. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he snapped his fingers.

“Oh, right.”

He bent down beside his chair and pulled out a thick bundle of documents. One by one, he laid them across the table, official seals stamped in red, signatures scrawled across yellowed parchment.

Property deeds.

Goro pushed the stack toward Aiden.

“Since you’ve done your part,” he said, “these are yours.”

Aiden glanced down at the papers.

They were the ownership records for the hideout in the central district, the same place Goro had been trying to sell them for two hundred gold coins.

Goro waved his hand casually.

“I’ve done my part, it’s now yours.”

Aiden accepted the documents without ceremony, slipping them into his storage pouch.

Goro wasn’t finished.

Aiden accepted the documents without ceremony, slipping them into his storage pouch.

Goro wasn’t finished.

He leaned forward, lowering his voice slightly.

“And there’s more. I’ll spread the word for you. Bone Contract Hall will start getting noticed soon enough. In this city, reputation matters more than gold.”

Aiden inclined his head.

“That will be helpful.”

Goro chuckled.

“Trust me. After last night, people are already whispering. A sect master. Then one of my rival’s key men. Both gone without a trace.”

He shook his head in disbelief.

“You’re dangerous, Ashen. I like dangerous people.”

Aiden said nothing.

With a base secured, a patron in the underworld, and his guild finally stepping into the light, Bone Contract Hall had officially taken its first real step forward.

After leaving Goro’s place, Aiden headed straight for the location.

The hideout sat deep within the central district, tucked away behind layers of narrow alleys and twisting side streets. From the outside, it looked like nothing more than another abandoned storage building—cracked walls, faded paint, and a rusted sign hanging crooked above a sealed doorway. Anyone passing by would assume it was empty.

That was exactly the point.

Aiden followed the directions on the deed, weaving through backstreets until he reached a quiet dead end. There, half-hidden behind stacked crates and a collapsed awning, was a reinforced door set directly into the brickwork. No markings. No lanterns. Just a faint seam in the wall.

He knocked in the pattern Goro had shown him.

A moment later, the door unlocked with a soft click.

Inside, the air changed immediately.

The hideout opened into a wide main hall lit by dim spirit lamps embedded along the walls. The stone floor was clean, recently swept, and reinforced pillars supported the ceiling. It wasn’t luxurious, but it was solid, built to last.

Aiden stepped inside and slowly took it all in.

To his left were several side rooms that could easily be converted into meeting chambers or client reception areas. To his right, a long corridor led deeper into the building, branching into storage rooms and what looked like sleeping quarters. There was even a small training space at the back, its floor marked with old combat scars and chipped tiles.

The place was far larger than he’d expected.

More importantly, it was functional.

There were hidden exits leading to two different alleys, a concealed stairway that connected to the rooftops above, and thick doors that could be barred from within. Whoever designed this hideout knew exactly what they were doing.

Aiden let out a quiet breath.

“This will do.”

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