In the world of the living, at the Origin Academy, after the investigation concerning the incident began, a man dressed in a black suit left the meeting room and walked toward a dark alleyway.

There, a shadow could be seen.

He waited for several seconds before finally speaking, only after confirming that there was no one within several meters of the location. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"The mission failed largely because of a student named Logan. He’s only at the Origin Apprentice rank, yet he can already contend with Origin Experts through the techniques he possesses."

The man explained everything in detail, including the coin toss technique.

He even provided a video of the entire entrance test to the shadow.

After finishing his report, he lowered his head slightly and waited.

"I watched it already." The voice emerging from the darkness was strangely calm, carrying the faint weight of amusement. "Interesting child."

A brief silence followed.

Then the figure continued.

"Raw talent. Spatial affinity. Adaptive combat instincts. Even his decision-making under pressure is abnormal." A faint chuckle drifted through the alley. "The blood of geniuses always carries the richest possibilities."

The temperature in the alley seemed to drop.

"I currently have several Origin Masters hidden within Fortwing State. Find the right moment and erase the boy quietly."

The figure paused once more before adding softly:

"And bring me his blood intact. I’m close to completing the foundation of a new Origin Path. Thousands have already died for this creation. A single prodigy more means nothing."

At the explanation, the man in the suit bowed deeply.

"I understand, master."

"Do not disappoint me again."

The pressure inside the alley instantly vanished.

The man exhaled slowly before blending back into the darkness.

He returned to the meeting room naturally and resumed the light conversation with the others as though nothing had happened.

"Where did you go to?" Elizabeth asked curiously. After all, they were in the middle of an intense discussion.

"I went to relieve myself." He replied smoothly.

Daenerys studied him for a moment longer than usual before withdrawing her gaze.

She wanted to finish this quickly so she could present Logan with his surprise.

...

Unaware of the target that had been placed on his head, Logan drifted off to sleep after his meeting with Evelyn.

The next day, he woke up.

The feeling of emptiness still clung to him, cold and stubborn, but he knew there was no time for that right now.

He had to get stronger, and fast, if he wanted even the slightest chance of resurrecting Evelyn.

With that in mind, he began his round of training.

He couldn’t wait to enter the academy and retrieve the third Origin Technique for his space element.

Thinking of Origin Techniques, Logan suddenly recalled something.

He walked into the parlor and noticed the cat still sleeping. The creature had collapsed into sleep the moment they arrived, utterly drained from whatever method it had used previously.

Logan lowered his hand toward it.

He still wanted answers about the technique the cat had used, but this clearly wasn’t the right time.

The day passed uneventfully.

Logan didn’t forget he was supposed to have a second date with Cecilia. On the contrary, he deliberately placed it on hold for the meantime, deciding to continue their interaction after the entrance test was fully concluded.

Meanwhile, back at the academy, the entrance examination had long since entered its second phase. Students sat in tense silence as questions flickered across the monitors one after another.

For some, this test would determine their entire future.

For Logan, however, none of it mattered anymore.

His thoughts remained fixed on only one thing.

Power.

More specifically, the kind of power capable of overturning death itself.

Meanwhile, Logan continued training alone.

Just like that, another day passed.

Logan originally expected the night to end in the same dull fashion, but Astra’s voice suddenly echoed inside his head.

[New mission: Kill the vice head of the mercenary guild.]

[Mission details: The vice head of the mercenary guild is currently in a meeting with the governor of Fortwing State. Kill him. Killing them both will grant extra rewards.]

Logan’s eyes narrowed slightly.

’Hmm? Astra, what’s this about?’

Why did he suddenly need to kill someone out of nowhere?

[It’s a new mission, master. Do you wish to accept or reject it?]

[Rewards: 100 System points, 10 free attributes. Extra reward: Map fragment.]

The rewards were unusually generous.

Immediately, Logan sensed something hidden beneath the surface.

A vice head of the mercenary guild meeting privately with the governor late at night?

That alone was suspicious.

Then there was the reward itself.

Systems rarely handed out benefits this valuable without reason.

Were the governor and mercenary vice head connected to something bigger?

Did it have something to do with the planned assassination?

Question after question surfaced in Logan’s mind.

But beneath all of that was another truth Logan understood clearly.

The constant movement.

The danger.

The thrill.

It drowned out the emptiness.

When he focused on killing, infiltrating, surviving, his mind stopped drifting back to Evelyn’s death.

That alone made the mission worth accepting.

’Accept.’

The instant he accepted the mission, he immediately began dressing up.

He wore an entirely black outfit, looking like someone preparing for a covert execution in the dead of night.

Along the way, he put on a black mask to conceal his identity.

He knew that places like this constantly operated under surveillance. High-ranking officials didn’t rely on ordinary security.

Even if he destroyed the cameras, once his appearance or movements were recorded, the data would already be stored inside the central database.

Logan took a car to the governor’s office.

It was a well-known location, so he simply told the driver where to go.

The drive cost him a gold coin. The enormous distance between his location and the governor’s office explained the absurd price.

After paying the driver, Logan slipped into the surrounding shadows.

The governor’s office stood ahead like a silent fortress.

Multiple guards patrolled the outer perimeter.

Several cameras rotated slowly above the gates.

Logan even sensed traces of Origin Energy fluctuations hidden nearby, likely some kind of detection formation.

A direct assault would immediately alert everyone inside the building.

His eyes scanned the structure carefully.

Then he noticed a maintenance section connected to the eastern side of the office.

Smaller security presence.

Fewer patrols.

Limited visibility.

Perfect.

Noticing the flickering lights ahead, Logan activated his spatial telekinesis. A dagger shot forward and shattered the light.

Glass fragments scattered across the floor.

The corridor instantly darkened.

"What’s going on?" a woman’s voice echoed through the hallway.

"What happened to the lights?" another voice asked nervously.

"On it. Maybe some kind of internal malfunction..." a third voice replied uncertainly.

Normally, since Origin Energy powered the lights, sudden failure was nearly impossible.

Footsteps quickly echoed through the corridor.

Logan remained motionless inside the darkness, listening carefully to the movement patterns.

Two guards.

One receptionist.

No Origin users nearby.

After a brief moment of thought, Logan decided there was no reason to kill uninvolved civilians.

With that, he moved deeper into the building.

Thanks to his high Origin rank, the darkness barely affected his vision.

After several more steps, he spotted one of the receptionists approaching cautiously.

Without hesitation, Logan appeared behind her.

"Don’t scream." His voice was low and steady.

The woman froze.

Before she could react, a hand covered her mouth firmly.

"You’ll survive this if you cooperate."

The coldness in Logan’s eyes made her entire body stiffen.

There was no anger in those eyes.

No excitement either.

Only chilling calmness.

That terrified her far more.

"Tell me where the governor’s office is." Logan said quietly.

"And understand this carefully. If you try to alert anyone, I’ll know immediately."

The woman trembled violently beneath his grip.

Logan slowly loosened his hand from her mouth.

"He’s... on the upper floor... the topmost office..." she whispered shakily.

"Good choice."

Before she could react further, Logan struck the side of her neck with precise force.

Her body instantly went limp in his arms.

...

Author’s Note: The Mission might seem a little strange, but trust me, it’s for a bigger purpose. One Chapter now; I’ll release either 1 or 2 later on. Also, my cover got banned, hence the reason just the title’s being displayed. I’ll be allowed to replace it in a couple of days, so it’ll remain like that for some time. I’m sorry. Thank you for the support so far.