Chapter 52: Berrada's Blood Oath Marker (Patreon)

Berrada spent the night in the wax bath, and his injuries were mostly healed by the time he stepped out.

As he emerged from the bathtub, he marveled at the miraculous healing powers at Charles Doyle's disposal.

Even his ‘little brother's’ wounds had been repaired. It was a close call with that damn dog, almost getting his groin bitten off. The curative abilities of this wax bath were truly extraordinary.

This was a valuable asset, especially for those in their line of work. Such a facility in a hotel would attract assassins from all over the world.

The customer base and business would skyrocket. After all, even with bulletproof vests, there was no guarantee one wouldn't get injured.

But thinking back to his ordeal from the previous day, Berrada shivered. Then, gritting his teeth, he called out, "Sofia!"

Once dressed, Berrada stepped out and saw Charles Doyle in the living room. He immediately wore a smile on his face, warmly opening his arms to embrace Charles.

"Thank you, Charles. You saved my life."

Though Charles hadn't actually saved his life, the help he had received was no less than life-saving, even greater than that.

After all, as a man, losing that "thing" was sometimes more unacceptable than losing one's life.

After a brief hug with Charles, Berrada spoke, "I owe you a favor, Charles. What do you need me to do for you? Or should I give you one of my Blood Oath Markers?"

Berrada had a sincere smile on his face as he looked earnestly at Charles.

Charles smiled and didn't dismiss Berrada's goodwill. He said, "Since you're so sincere, then give me one of your Blood Oath Markers."

Although they were both Blood Oath Markers, the effectiveness of a regular assassin's Blood Oath and one held by the manager of a continental hotel was not the same.

Berrada didn't hesitate and walked to the bedroom. He retrieved a blank Blood Oath Marker from the drawer and then came back to Charles. He pricked his finger and pressed his blood imprint onto the marker.

After completing these actions, Berrada handed the Blood Oath Marker to Charles.

Charles accepted it without hesitation and put it in his pocket.

Seeing Charles taking the Blood Oath Marker, Berrada wore a smile again and asked, "Charles, I wonder if there's a possibility of cooperation regarding this wax bath?”

“After experiencing it, I believe it's a significant business opportunity. It's highly attractive to people in our profession. With this, even regular underground doctors would be out of work."

Seeing the smile on Berrada's face, Charles knew he was interested, but he still refused, saying, "Berrada, the timing isn't right yet. Discussing cooperation is a bit premature."

Hearing that Charles didn't outright reject the idea, Berrada knew there was hope. He then suggested, "Charles, I'll wait for your good news.”

“When the time comes, I'll design a pricing structure that suits your needs. How about a combination of US dollars and gold coins, or an all-gold coin payment model?"

Looking at Berrada, who was already thinking about pricing, Charles smiled and said, "We'll discuss this another time. Since you're fine now, I'll take my leave."

Seeing Charles about to leave, Berrada didn't insist and thanked him once again before Charles exited.

On the other side, Sofia was driving, and she had brought John Wick to the edge of the desert.

Sofia stopped the car and opened the trunk, taking out a dog bowl and a large bottle of mineral water. She poured some water into the bowl and said to her two hounds, "Drink up."

John Wick also got out of the car at this point. From his pocket, he took out Sofia's Blood Oath Marker, but before he could say anything, he heard Sofia's ominous words.

"You will die, John, maybe in this desert or somewhere else."

Sofia paused for a moment, then looked at John Wick with certainty and said, "But you will die without a doubt."

John Wick didn't say anything. He took a deep breath, opened the Blood Oath Marker, pricked his finger, and pressed his fingerprint on the other side of the emblem. He then closed it and handed it to Sofia, saying, "Consequences."

Sofia received the Blood Oath Marker and also uttered, "Consequences."

She then handed the nearly empty bottle of mineral water to John.

Just as John was about to reach for it, Sofia evaded his hand. Instead, she poured the remaining water into her mouth right in front of him. John turned his head in resignation.

However, Sofia didn't actually swallow the water; she rinsed her mouth with it angrily and then spat it all back into the bottle. She then put the bottle back in front of John and said, "Get on the road quickly."

Seeing this revenge-driven woman in front of him, John Wick, considering the desert environment, accepted the bottle from her.

Looking at the almost empty bottle, John called out her name with a sigh, "Sofia."

Without further communication, John Wick started walking towards the desert.

…

Meanwhile, at the Moroccan Continental Hotel, Charles Doyle, along with his team, reached the hotel's front desk and checked out. As they stepped out of the hotel, they headed in the direction of the desert.

They drove until they reached the edge of the desert.

Ginny asked, "Boss, it's easy to get lost in the desert. Where are we going next?"

Charles didn't answer Ginny's question but instead turned to Iruka and said, "Iruka, fetch John Wick's shirt."

Following Charles's order, Iruka retrieved a blood-stained shirt from the luggage and placed it in front of Charles.

Charles then bit his finger and formed seals with both hands, saying, "Summoning Jutsu."

"Bang!"

A burst of smoke dissipated, revealing a ninja dog in front of everyone.

Iruka and the others remained unfazed. They were familiar with Summoning Jutsu, and they could use it too, thanks to the system.

For them, summoning animals was a standard ability for all ninja participating in battles.

Ginny, on the other hand, was astonished. She couldn't believe her eyes as she witnessed Charles, after performing some hand seals, summoned an animal, a dog of all things.

Parker glanced around, assessed the situation, and then asked, "Lord Charles, is there something you need me to do?"

Ginny pointed at Parker and exclaimed, "The dog is talking! The dog is actually talking..."