John Wick - Chapter 35: Henry and Winston’s Talents (Patreon)

New York Continental Hotel, inside the elevator.

The elevator had an old-fashioned design straight out of the last century, complete with iron lattice doors.

The brass buttons gleamed dully, while dark wooden panels lined the interior walls.

It was cramped. With three or four people inside, there was barely enough room to move around.

Nate leaned against one corner, glancing from the corner of his eye at the elderly man beside him. It was a face so familiar he could practically picture it with his eyes closed.

Being crammed into the same elevator as a character he had liked from a movie in his previous life was a strange experience.

It felt like being a fan who had somehow followed his favorite celebrity all the way into their living room.

The elevator arrived.

When the doors opened, Henry was still sitting where they had left him. He slowly raised a hand in greeting when he saw them, looking as relaxed as if he were waiting for guests in his own home.

Winston didn't sit down immediately.

He turned to the security chief behind him and gave a few instructions. His voice wasn't loud, but every word came through clearly.

“Replace that mat and patch the bullet holes in the wall. I also want a copy of the surveillance footage from the front desk.”

He paused.

“And arrange compensation for Judy's family. Make it generous. Anything beyond the standard amount comes out of my personal account.”

“Yes, sir.”

The security chief nodded and left.

Only then did Winston pull over a chair and sit across from Henry, his face expressionless.

Nate hesitated briefly before pulling over another chair and sitting a little farther away, doing his best not to interrupt the two older men.

Silence lingered for a moment.

Henry was the first to speak.

“That girl... was she special?”

Winston didn't answer immediately.

He sat there as though something had been drained out of him. The dignified, aristocratic bearing he normally carried so effortlessly had visibly collapsed.

It was the first time Nate had ever seen him like this.

Winston raised a hand to his forehead, his voice heavy.

“I took that girl from a group of human traffickers years ago.”

“I watched her grow up. She was a good girl.”

Winston paused.

“A few years ago, I helped her find her family. I still remember the smile on her face when she saw them.”

“She wasn't cut out to be an assassin, so I put her at the front desk. One day on, three days off. I paid her several times what she'd have earned anywhere else.”

His voice grew quieter.

“Once you're part of this world... even if you never become an assassin, being able to live out your life peacefully is a good thing. I thought she would...”

Winston's hand slipped down from his forehead and covered his face.

“She was only twenty-two.”

Nate didn't know what to say.

He had only met Judy once. They weren't close by any stretch of the imagination.

But he couldn't stop replaying that moment in his head.

The girl had smiled brightly and raised a fist to cheer him on.

A tightness settled in Nate's chest.

So this was what it felt like when someone who had shown you kindness suddenly died.

Henry patted Winston on the shoulder, his voice heavier than usual.

“I'm sorry. She died because of me. That girl... deserved better.”

“Her name was Judy,” Nate said quietly, his head lowered.

Winston lowered his hand.

His eyes were red, but his expression was already beginning to settle, like a piece of heated iron slowly cooling.

He looked at Nate and spoke hoarsely.

“Thank you for remembering her name.”

Another few seconds of silence passed.

When Winston raised his head again, the grief in his eyes had disappeared.

Only coldness remained.

“The High Table bypassed its own bounty system and hired assassins directly to carry out a hit inside the hotel. That's rather crude of them.”

“Someone's scared,” Henry said. “And this attempt was sloppy. We need to prepare.”

“She didn't die for nothing.”

Winston leaned forward, resting both hands on his knees. A restrained fire burned in his eyes.

He spoke each word deliberately.

“If you want peace, prepare for war. Old friend, I'm going to need your help.”

“Of course.”

The two men bumped fists.

Winston and Henry continued talking, and the atmosphere gradually became more charged.

Nate, however, had almost nothing to contribute.

So he lowered his head, pulled out his phone, and pretended to scroll while secretly opening the system interface.

“System, Trait Viewer.”

[Trait Viewer activated.]

A warm sensation passed over Nate's eyes.

He looked up.

Whoa.

The Trait panels above the two old men were so enormous they practically filled his vision.

Henry Wang

[Poisoning (Exclusive Trait): Can alter the effects of toxins according to the user's intentions. Damage from lethal toxins increased by 300%.]

[Mimicry (Lv7): Disguise accuracy increased by 280%. Voice and posture can be perfectly replicated. (8/50 Perfect Disguises)]

[Long-Range Shot (Lv5): The farther the target, the higher the shooting accuracy. Once beyond the firearm's effective range, bullet accuracy increases by 60%. (7/25 Ultra-Long-Range Firearm Kills)]

[Vanish (Lv5): When activated, presence is reduced by 300% and movement noise is reduced by 150%. (17/25 Stealth Passes Through Alert Zones)]

[Premonition (Lv4): Reaction speed increased by 150%. Detects hostility within 30 meters and predicts lethal danger 3 seconds in advance. (1/10 Successfully Evaded Instant-Kill Attacks)]

Winston

[Subjugation (Exclusive Trait): Releases an oppressive aura within a 40-meter radius. All enemy attributes are reduced by 30%, fighting spirit is reduced by 50%, and the success rate of negotiation-related actions is increased by 200%.]

[Insight (Max Level): Insight increased by 100%.]

The higher the Trait's level, the larger its display above a person's head.

Henry's Exclusive Trait panel was several times larger than his Level 4 Trait. Nate actually had to tilt his head back and crane his neck to read the whole thing.

He couldn't help clicking his tongue.

Henry's collection of [Traits] really lived up to its reputation.

Five Traits in total, and every single one was powerful.

The description of [Poisoning] didn't seem especially outrageous at first glance, but anything carrying the label [Exclusive Trait] had to be far stronger than an ordinary Trait.

Winston's Traits looked much less impressive by comparison.

He only had two, and neither directly increased his combat ability. His Exclusive Trait focused on negotiation, which made perfect sense for him.

But what exactly did [Insight] mean by increasing insight?

Nate quickly turned off [Trait Viewer] and checked how many Resource Points he had spent.

Fortunately, less than a minute had passed.

Resource Points weren't easy to earn, so he needed to be careful with them.

That left one question.

Which Trait should he copy?

He still hadn't met that man yet.

Using his only available Trait slot now felt like a waste.

Nate continued weighing his options, completely unaware that both older men across from him were now looking directly at him.

Winston lowered his voice.

“That young man is improving far too quickly. His talent may be the greatest I've ever seen.”

A trace of surprise flashed through Henry's eyes.

“Better than him?”

Winston nodded without hesitation.

“The best I've seen in my entire life.”

“I see.”

Henry smiled knowingly.

Then he asked, “Speaking of him, what has he been doing lately?”

“Same as Caine. Retired. It's been five years now.”

“Oh...”

Winston's phone suddenly rang.

He answered it and listened for a few seconds.

His expression shifted slightly.

“What is it? Someone looking for you?” Henry asked.

“Speak of the devil.”

Some of the heaviness vanished from Winston's expression, replaced by the faintest hint of a smile.

He turned toward Nate, his tone noticeably lighter.

“Nate!”

Nate was staring intently at the system panel floating before him, still agonizing over whether to copy a Trait and, if so, which one.

Winston's voice snapped him out of it.

“What are you daydreaming about?” Winston asked with a smile.

“Huh? What is it?”

Nate quickly came back to his senses.

“Would you like to meet a legend of our world?”

Winston's voice carried unmistakable pride.

Nate's adrenaline surged instantly.

Was it him?

Was the story finally about to begin?

He'd been waiting so long he was practically growing mold.

Good thing his indecision had kept him from using that Copy Card.

Thoughts raced through his mind, but outwardly he kept up the act.

“Who?”

“Baba Yaga.”

Winston deliberately paused for a moment, as though savoring the weight of the name.

Then he slowly spoke another.

“John Wick.”