《VESSEL VOLUME 1》 CHAPTER 1 CHAPTER1 Orange paper lanterns hung around the night sky. An old man checked his gold watch. 10:30 pm. He wore and old grey suit and pants. His blue tie was a mess. His black shoes were vintage, passed on from grandson to grandson. He was in a pub, like most people after their work and overtime hours. But it was a special kind of pub. The tables were colored with gold, but were darkened due to age. The walls and shelves where antique bottles were placed were also colored with dark gold. Smooth jazz music could be heard. Surprisingly, musicians made from steel and gears tinkered with the instruments. Their movements resembled that of professional jazz players filled with soul and passion for their art. Businessmen and rich people with fur scarves dined on the tables with giant lobsters and huge pieces of steak on their plates. The old man stood out from all the customers. He was alone. His hair was unruly, a very greyish color. Luckily, there were still no bald spots in his wrinkled head. No one occupied the stools on both his sides, unlike the other people seated in front of the bartender. With a mug in his hand, he sipped while looking around the pub. His body was still, like the gold wooden stool he was sitting on. A stranger walked in, body covered in a dark ragged cloak. A sandy brown colored cowboy hat adorned his head. Cowboy hats are usually decorated with a lace around them, but his was special. Silver bullets were stuck to it. Everyone started to whisper about him being a bounty hunter, a common occupation in this day and age. There still seems to be a hierarchy. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. Paying no mind to the other customers, the stranger walked to the chair beside the old man and sat. ¡°What. A. Bother..!¡± He sighed. He places his hat on the table, revealing his dark brown hair that covered his ears. ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll have one beer, please.¡± As he waited for his drink, he talked to the old man. ¡°Rough night tonight, huh?¡± He said. The old man turned his head to nod slowly in agreement. ¡°You¡¯re one of those silent types,¡± he said with a disappointed look. Once the drink was served, he gulped the beer quickly to taste it. It had a hint of honey. The old man stared blankly at the shelves. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? I don¡¯t bite.¡± A mininal response. A stare and a nod. The stranger sighed once again. ¡°Do you know how short life is, old man? An ordinary person can just head home from work one night and die in seconds, either from a car accident, a heart attack, or an assassination. That is why this¡ª¡° he raised his drink. ¡°¡ªis important. You¡¯re supposed to enjoy, have a talk. Do you wanna go to soapland with me?¡± The old man acted as if he heard nothing. ¡°Tch... suit yourself.¡± He quickly pulled out a purple dagger from underneath his ragged cloak. Clang! The old man¡¯s mouth was open wide. A long, sharp metallic object came out from it, blocking the purple dagger. Everyone screamed and ran towards the exit. ¡°The clients didn¡¯t tell me about this!¡± He quickly grabbed his hat and dropkicked the old man from his seat, knocking him towards the tables. The bartender rushed to the phone to call the police. The old man¡¯s eyes reddened. His body took on a spider¡¯s position with a silver bony tail protruding from his lower back. ¡°You should¡¯ve talked while you were still sane!¡± He tore off his cloak and revealed his attire. Light brown vest and pants. Black straps on both his legs to hold his sword and gun (that seemed to be modified). His white button-up shirt was cuffed and his black sneakers covered in dust. The tables and chairs released the scentof wooden dust. The creature who was once the simple old man made an earsplitting shriek as it focused on its enemy. It pounced towards the stranger. He dodged, landed on the wooden floor, recovered quickly and ran while loading his gun (having a revolver¡¯s wheel despite its state-of-the-art appearance) with silver bullets thinly lined with glowing golden lights. ¡°Now, come at me!¡± He aimed towards the hideous creature. As he pulled the trigger, static electricity was everywhere. Bang! CHAPTER 2 CHAPTER 2 Near the seas of Neo-Osaka stands a very huge hotel. It was built in the 70¡¯s and was very famous in its time. Musicians such as Tatsuro Yamashita, Ryo Fukui and John Coltrane performed in its spacious halls. But decades passed, and the hotel was nothing more than a temporary home for drug users and criminals. Some rooms have a balcony with a view of the sea and the tall palm trees. They were included with a sliding glass door to keep the cold air from the air conditioner inside the rooms. In one room specifically, the glass door was shattered. The bed sheets were staimed with dark crimson. The drawers were filled with stacks of cash (probably counterfeit) and the soft slippers used after bathing were scattered.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. ¡°You must tell me where your boss is,¡± a man in dark blue anorak insisted with a light Italian accent, holding a middle-aged nan by the collar. ¡°Or you will end up in the same fate as your acquaintance here.¡± ¡°Who are you?¡± The man asked, coughing up blood, staining his clothes. ¡°My identity is not relevant. You must answer my question first.¡± The bloody man was pinned to the wall with a loud thud. ¡°You do not know what he is capable of. You are blind.¡± His eyes were dead. Hair in a mess. His right arm was full of needle wounds and a pus-colored liquid was oozing out. ¡°I¡¯m... not telling.¡± His interrogator threw a kunai to the wall and it stuck, a few inches from the junkie¡¯s neck. ¡°You dare to throw away your life that easily?¡± ¡°I have nothing to live for, anyway... I¡¯ll be taking my secrets to the grave.¡± He repliedwith a bloody smirk. ¡°Fool.¡± In a split second, a chopstick went through his skull, nailing his head to the wall. ¡°It seems like my time is wasted here.¡± The anorak man dusted himself off. Another two bodies in his kill count. He jumped out the balcony and disappeared into the night.