A New Lead

[Additional order received: Kill the Prisoner]

[Click 'Accept' and gain 1000 more coins once completed. Reject to lose additional coins]

[Accept] [Reject]

Duke's eyes flickered to the notification, and he clicked "accept" without hesitation. He turned to Murphy. "Well, Murphy, it seems like your ghost story is about to come to an end."

Murphy's eyes widened in terror. "Please no! I'll do what you want. I'll join your team. I'll be an inside man—anything."

Duke tilted his head at Ryker. "Are you taking notes, buddy?"

Ryker responded with a disapproving kiss of his teeth, but it was enough to satisfy Duke.

Duke turned back to Murphy and leaned in close. "That's it? That's all it'll take to forgive you? You really think you're above the law, don't you? No offense, but a special order is an order."

In one swift motion, Duke raised the chair leg and jammed it into Murphy's throat.

As soon as the chair leg pierced Murphy's throat, his eyes bulged, and his head slumped forward, lifeless. The force of the blow was so brutal that his head threatened to roll off his neck, leaving him in a grotesque, limp pose. Duke released his grip on the chair, and it clattered to the floor, the sound echoing through the room.

The sound of the chair crashing to the floor seemed to snap Nadia out of her shock. Ryker gave Duke a disapproving glare before turning and exiting the room, his silence speaking volumes.

Duke turned to Nadia, his brow furrowed in confusion. "What's his problem?" he asked, genuinely perplexed.

Nadia's expression was sympathetic, but her voice was firm. "He's going to come around, don't worry about him. He's just upset because of what happened with his mom."

Duke's confusion deepened. "Ryker's mom?" he repeated, his voice laced with curiosity.

Nadia nodded solemnly. "Yes, she's Ryker's only family. That's why he's not comfortable with you. When you snatched his ID that day, you put his mom and everything he risked his life for in danger... and in vain."

"I didn't know," Duke stuttered, his voice laced with defensiveness.

Nadia's expression turned from anger to disappointment. "Let's face it, Duke. It wouldn't have stopped you anyway. Just like how you took down that man without bothering to know if I still needed him for inquiries." Her words were laced with frustration and disapproval.

Duke snorted in disbelief, his eyes rolling in exasperation. That man wasn't going to say anything to them; it was with his help that they had gotten this far. And now they were going to make him feel bad for it?

As Duke walked toward Nadia, he noticed something strange. His leg, which had been throbbing in pain just moments before, didn't hurt anymore. He looked down and saw that the wound was still there, but it was no longer bleeding, and the pain had vanished.

Nadia noticed the change in Duke's demeanor and followed his gaze to his leg. Her eyes widened in surprise. "Duke, your leg... it's healed."

Duke's eyes snapped back to Nadia, and he nodded slowly. "I know. I can feel it. Whatever that was, it seems to have had an unexpected benefit."

Nadia's curiosity was piqued. "Whatever what was?" she asked, her voice laced with a hint of intrigue.

Duke frowned, suddenly unsure if he wanted to reveal the truth about the system. He had forgotten that no one else could see the pop-up notifications in his vision. He hesitated, his mind racing with the implications.

"It's a feeling I get. I think it's an effect of the pill."

Nadia's eyes narrowed, her mind racing with suspicions. She sensed Duke was hiding something about the system, but she didn't push the issue, knowing he was hesitant to share information. Instead, she asked, "Duke, may I examine your healed wound?" Her voice was laced with curiosity, her eyes fixed on the scar above his ankle.

Duke raised an eyebrow, his expression guarded, but he nodded curtly. He pulled up his pant leg, revealing the scar in all its detail. Nadia's eyes widened as she realized the scar was from the stitches she had given him.

"I see," she said, her voice tinged with curiosity. Nadia grabbed a pin from a table nearby and slowly pulled the thread out with it. Once she did, she marveled at how Duke's skin started to pull back together, healing itself completely.

Nadia's mind raced with theories, but she couldn't shake off the uncertainty. Her hypothesis, that Duke heals when he takes down someone, seemed plausible, but it was based on a single incident. The last time she witnessed his rapid healing was when he first woke up in her house, but he hadn't eliminated anyone then—or since, as far as she knew. So, what triggered his healing this time? Nadia's thoughts swirled with questions, but she had no concrete answers.

As she stood there, lost in thought, her gaze lingered on the spot where the scar once was. The skin was now smooth, with no sign of the wound that had been there just hours before. She felt a shiver run down her spine, a mix of fascination and unease. What was the truth behind Duke's mysterious abilities? And what lay ahead for them on this dangerous path?

With a quiet sigh, Nadia turned to leave, leaving Duke alone in the room.

As soon as Duke heard her exit the room, he hurried back to the icon in his vision to check how much he now had.

[Current Balance: 2700 coins]

Duke's eyes lit up as he saw the updated balance. After checking his balance, Duke left the room, searching for something to do, to while away time till it was safe to leave. As he walked down the hallway, he heard the sound of fingers tapping on a screen. Curious, he strolled over with his hands in his pockets to find out who it was on a tapping spree.

Upon getting close, Duke spotted a young man—not just any young man, the one who had seen him jump over a car earlier. He was the same mysterious figure who had been present during the chaotic escape. Duke's eyes darted to what he was engrossed in, and they widened in surprise at what he saw.