1-6: A WORK OF ART

An assassin named White discovers that his master, the crime lord, has been arrested and his binding oath stone stolen by a mysterious masked figure. The figure presents him with orders to assassinate major political figures across multiple kingdoms.

Chapter 36 follows the perspective of the renowned assassin known as 'White,' whom we now learn is called 'the one who sent me here'. He's stationed on a ledge overlooking a gambling den, awaiting orders from his master, the crime lord, who wants a rival named the one who sent me here to be assassinated. While waiting, he observes the city's culture with a mixture of disdain and philosophical detachment, aware of his status as a dangerous tool in the hands of those who control him through his binding oath stone. He exits the den and makes his way to the mansion where the rival operates, using his magical abilities to scale walls and breach the building while avoiding unnecessary killing of guards. Upon entering the master bedroom, he discovers the rival is already dead—his severed head placed on a table. A masked figure emerges from the shadows, revealing himself to be a representative of a new master who has taken control of the oath stone. The figure produces his stolen oath stone and the head of his former master, proving the control has shifted. The figure presents him with a written list of approximately two dozen targets—including six highprinces, a gerontarch, and the king of a major kingdom—with instructions to employ assassination tactics similar to those he used years ago in a previous conflict. The figure then departs through a wall that he transforms to smoke using a magical soulcasting ability, leaving the assassin facing the horrifying prospect of serving a master with both the power to control him and the ambition to deploy his full destructive capabilities.