Atlas followed the route described by the vendor, passing through crowded streets. After crossing the large square, he found the narrow street leading north. Even the air here felt different; the scent of spices had given way to the smell of wet stone and a faint hint of mold. Footsteps echoed on the old stone pavement.

  He crossed the first bridge. The water flowing through the canal was a strange shade of blue. The second bridge was wider, and there were a few beggars on it. Thanks to his new clothes, Atlas passed by unnoticed.

  “Am I really going to kill someone?” he thought. “Even if it's a dream, it feels so real... Can I do this?”

  After crossing the third bridge, a purple lantern on the left caught his attention. As the vendor had said, it was under a wooden sign engraved with a large violet flower. Atlas swallowed. He opened his inventory and stared at the gun for a moment, as if to make sure it was really there.

  “Damn it, this is real,” he muttered.

  He pushed open the door of the inn and went inside. It was more crowded than he had expected. The smells of alcohol, sweat, and food mingled together. People sat in groups, some laughing, some engaged in serious conversation. Atlas sat down at a table close to him at first and began to quietly observe his surroundings.

  He opened the map. It didn't show the exact location of his target, but he was sure he was in this building. His eyes scanned the crowd in front of him. He didn't know Baek Yisoo, but he had an idea based on what the vendor had told him. He was looking for someone arrogant, conceited, someone who stood out.

  A waitress approached him.

  “What would you like to drink, sir?”

  Atlas hesitated. He didn't know the local drinks and wasn't sure about the price either.

  “The cheapest wine you have, please.”

  The girl nodded and walked away. Atlas nervously tapped his fingers on the table. His eyes kept drifting to the door and the liveliest tables in the room. hen, a loud laugh erupted from the other end of the hall. His eyes turned to the source of the sound.

  A tall man with broad shoulders was recounting a story to the listeners gathered around him. He wore a navy blue robe with silver details. His hair was pulled back, and the sharp lines on his face looked as if they had been carved with a knife. His eyes were quite dark. His skin was pale white. Although he looked like a vagabond, he was quite handsome.

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  People laughed at his every word and flatteringly refilled his glass.

  “That must be him,” thought Atlas.

  When the waitress brought the wine, Atlas pointed to the crowded table.

  “Who is that man in the corner?”

  The girl glanced over and immediately looked away.

  “Baek Yisoo. The Sword Dragon of the Sky and Moon Sect. A true genius...”

  Atlas sipped his wine. It tasted bitter and harsh, but that was exactly what he needed right now. The trembling he felt in his stomach and wrists was slowly subsiding.

  “Does he come here often?”

  “Almost every night lately.” The girl whispered. "But be careful. He's even more dangerous when he's drunk. Last week, a man's arm was cut off simply because he bumped into Yisoo’s glass."

  Atlas thanked her and the girl walked away. Now he could observe more comfortably. Baek Yisoo really did seem arrogant. He gestured broadly as he spoke, acting overly familiar with the women at the table. He constantly told stories about himself.

  Atlas thought about the gun. He had never used a revolver before. He had come this far, but what would he do now? Firing in a crowded place, then running away... Was it possible? What if it wasn't a dream? Killing a real man... He clenched his hands under the table, his nails digging into his palms.

  “Can I kill someone? I've never killed anyone in my life.”

  But then he remembered the mission details that appeared in his inventory. The mission said ‘[Execute]’. No matter the cost, he had to complete the mission. Maybe it was a dream, maybe it was real; but for now, that was his only reality.

  He watched for an hour. Baek Yisoo was getting louder and drunker. Atlas waited patiently. The customers at Violet Inn were slowly dwindling; it was getting late. The doors were about to close.

  “How am I going to do this?” he thought. “I can't just pull out and shoot him; they'll catch me immediately. I have to be smarter about this.”

  His eyes drifted to a door at the back of the Han. There was probably a back exit. He didn't know when Baek Yisoo would leave, but it was inevitable that he would eventually. It made more sense to wait outside in the dark.

  He finished his wine, left his money on the table, and went outside. He walked around Violet Inn and reached the back alley. It was a narrow, dark street. There were high walls on both sides, and only a few small lanterns lit the area.

  Atlas hid in the shadows and waited. His heart was beating fast. He didn't know if he was shivering because of the cold outside or because of what he was about to do. He took the gun out of his inventory and felt its weight. It was indeed close to two kilograms. He had never used such a heavy weapon before, but now he checked the bullet chamber. There were six bullets inside.

  “One should be enough,” he muttered.

  As he waited, he began to think again. Was Baek Yisoo a real person? Was it right to kill him? What then? How would he escape from here? What would happen when the job was done?

  As the questions in his mind multiplied, the inn's back door opened. Atlas held his breath. A man had stumbled out alone, walking with heavy, drunken steps. He wore a dark cloak similar to the one Yisoo had on, and the small lantern in his hand cast long, distorting shadows. Atlas slowly raised his gun. His hand was shaking. His target was ten meters away. He couldn't miss from this distance, right? His finger touched the trigger.

  “Baek Yisoo!” he suddenly shouted. He didn't know why he did it. Maybe he wanted to see his face one last time.

  The man stopped and turned the lantern toward Atlas.

  “Who's there?” he yelled. He couldn't quite form the words.

  As the light hit the man's front, Atlas's eyes widened. This was not Baek Yisoo. The cloak fell open to reveal a protruding, bare belly.

  “I... I don't know, I must have confused you with a friend. I'm sorry, big brother.”

  Atlas put his gun back in his inventory and opened his hands, doing everything he could to show he meant no harm and to prevent the man from causing trouble. The man was dead drunk. After staring blankly for a moment, he shrugged his shoulders and continued to stagger along.

  Ten minutes... Half an hour... An hour. Baek Yisoo hadn't come out. Atlas's legs were starting to go numb. The clouds covering the sky blocked even the last rays of the moon, plunging the street into near darkness.