How to Get Girls, Get Rich, and Rule the World (Even If You're Ugly)

The entrance was still there. But this time, there was something more: a man. Tall enough not to look local. Broad shoulders, posture far too relaxed for someone on guard — but not entirely inattentive.

He wore a dark, hooded coat, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, revealing forearms covered in rune tattoos that pulsed faintly, like they were breathing under his skin. His boots, heavy and solid, were planted right at the edge of the doorway. There was no doubt: he was stationed there to keep watch. Just didn’t seem like the kind of guy paid to do much thinking.

[Combat Event: Stealth Kill – Alley Entrance]

[Target: Rune-Tattooed Guard]

→ Type: Humanoid (Augmented – Passive Runes)

→ Awareness: Low (Distracted / Routine Position)

→ Threat Level: Moderate (Physically Dangerous, Mentally Dull)

I stayed in the shadow of a cracked column, watching. His face was wide, features squared, jaw clenched, and eyes far too pale for this dim light — the kind of eyes that didn’t blink unless they had to. A scar ran through his left brow, and even from a distance it was clear: he wasn’t the kind of guy who impressed easily. No visible weapons. But with arms like that, he was probably the weapon.

I stayed there a few more seconds, calculating distance, timing, risk. Figuring out how to cross that threshold without sounding like an idiot or dying trying. The alley was empty. The windows in the surrounding buildings remained shut. And the air had that viscous cold that warned you when something was about to go wrong.

Then I saw it.

The guy looked to one side. Then the other. Like he was waiting for someone — or just tired. And then, with the kind of careless routine that comes from unsupervised duty, he reached into his coat pocket.