Ronny awoke to the insistent buzzing of his phone. Groaning, he swatted at his bedside table until his fingers found the device and he answered without looking.
"Yeah?" he mumbled, his voice thick with sleep.
"Mr Ronin" Daphne's voice echoed on the other side. "Mr Henderson is waiting for you at the lobby".
Ronny's eyes snapped open. Mr Henderson was punctal, almost to a fault. He glanced at the digital clock on his center table: 9:00AM.
He'd managed a decent four hours of sleep.
"I'll be down in fifteen" Ronny replied, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
He rose from the bed and sat up, the events of the previous night flooded back. Kills, near-capture and the narrow escape. It was a bigger difference to negotiating the price of a house with an oddly punctual man.
After a quick shower, he changed into a set of black trousers and white T-shirt, then headed downstairs. The lobby of Nexus Shelters was a spacious area with comfortable seating and large windows displaying a beautiful backyard garden.
Mr Henderson sat on a cushion opposite the reception desk. He was a tall, impeccably dressed man in his late fifties with silver hair and a sternly look with a brown tablet in his hands. After the escape to The Sanctuary, there was a slight change in economy as nobody has any property to claim on a safe land. Governments then made a body called 'Merchants'. They are agents who discuss purchase of houses, properties even clothing and drinks. Mr Henderson was one of them.
"Mr Moonwhisper" he said in a formal voice. "Thank you for coming down promptly".
"Morning Mr Henderson, sorry for the delay".
"Time is a valuable commodity, Mr Moonwhisper" Henderson replied, his gaze unwavering. "Especially in these..... unprecedented times"
Ronny nodded. He knew Mr. Henderson wasn't one for small talk. They got straight to the point.
"I trust you've considered my offer for the property on Sector Gamma?" Mr. Henderson asked, holding a sleek tablet in his hands.
"Yes, sir," Ronny said. "It's a beautiful place. The view of the artificial sky is quite something."
"The securities and amenitie are...what's the word?... top-notch" Mr Henderson added.
"Yeah..that's why I'm so interested" Ronny replied. "However my current financial situation...."
"Say no more Mr Ronin..I reached your bank this morning for clarifications. Just for security purposes, if you understand."
"Yeah..yeah..I understand"
Ronny didn't actually understand. He felt Mr Henderson was taking his job too serious.
'My bank transactions? Who on earth does that' He thought.
'Creepy and weird'.
"Ermm..I noticed you recently withdrawn a $100,000 at the beginning of this month and a deposit of $50,000..so what's the reason behind those expenditures?" Mr Henderson was becoming inquisitive.
Ronny hesitated. He wasn't keen on explaining to a government official that 'he has a weird system that pays him money to kill aliens and also he withdrawn $100,000 to buy a blue virtual sword'.
'Government officials are weird' he thought.
"It was a necessary..... investment" Ronny said vaguely.
Mr Henderson's eyebrows rose slightly but he didn't bother to press further.
"Look Mr Henderson" Ronny said deciding to be direct. "I have $600,000 available right now, tho your asking price is a million dollars. I was hoping you were willing to consider a down payment."
Mr Henderson tapped his finger on the tablet, his expression thoughtful.
"The standard is full payment but I would be willing to consider given the circumstances..but exceptions and changes will be made to the deal?"
"Really?" Ronny's eyes surged with joy.
"A non-refundable down payment of $700,000 and the remaining $300,000 must be paid before the ending of the month, Mr Moonwhisper."
"$700,000?!! That's all my money gone?" Ronny was piqued.
"That's the deal, Mr Ronin..you have to understand,it's the government not me"
Ronny sighed internally. He knew Mr Henderson had likely done his research. His high-value kills were probably public knowledge within certain circles in The Sanctuary.
"Alright" Ronny said making a quick calculation silently. "I will pay $700,000 but $300,000 in less than twenty days can be tough."
"That's the deal Mr Ronin" Mr Henderson replied leaving no room for negotiation. "Do we have a deal?"
Ronny shook his hand, a mixture of relief and apprehension swirling within him. "We have a deal, Mr. Henderson."
As Mr. Henderson began outlining the paperwork, Ronny couldn't help but think about the pressure he had just put on himself. He needed to find more high-value targets, and fast. The comfortable life he craved was within reach, but the path to get there was still paved with danger and uncertainty.
He pressed his digital watch which immediately displayed his bank interface.
[RECIPIENT NUMBER: 00657_____]
He inputed the account details on the tablet through the digital watch, it no surprise everyone has a bank interface.
[TRANSACTING $700,000.....]
[DONE✓]
[BALANCE: $50,000]
'Tchhh.....damn.. getting broke' he muttered to himself.
"So your new house keys will be delivered to you by evening, Mr Ronin" Mr Henderson relayed. "Congratulations"
"Thanks"
Ronny was elated, finally his dreams of living in his own house came true, but still a dented dream as the house could be collected back by the government if he couldn't pay the rest of the money.
He went back to his room eagerly awaiting for nighttime to come; he's in a desperate mood for Krylls.
"Ascendant Interface" he said in a low commanding tone.
The interface appeared in front of Ronny immediately. Then another interface showed beside the former displaying an important notice.
"Finally" Ronny muttered happily.
It was the 'Rare Missions' offered by the system. It's a mission where the rewards are higher from normal ones; most involves killing more than 50 Krylls either A or D class at a given area. The rewards worth at least '$200,000'.
[A NEW MISSION ASCENDANT: 20 KRYLLS AT LONDON___CLASS: 5 CLASS S_10 CLASS A _10 CLASS D___REWARD: $2,000,000__TIME: 11:00PM 3/4/2052 COMMENCEMENT]
"$2,000,000!!!" Ronny was surprised. "Finally"
He danced around with joy, preparing to brutally murder aliens that night.